Uncaged Book Reviews by Cyrene

ISSUE 74 | November/December 2023

Special Promos by:

Keith Mack, Robert J. Rubinetti, Robert Snider, Judy Warrenton, David Zini, Keith Ricketts, Alan M. McDaniels, Sophia Serna, Tres Augustine Parker, Darryl L. Mincey & Jonathan Miller

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

y new computer is up and running. And it was really painless. Since I subscribe the Adobe Creative Cloud, my programs were just an install away. I put all my files on my external that I need and I subscribed to the Microsoft 365 for both storage and programs. So this is the first magazine put together on the new computer. I don’t know why I was so worried. Life in Motion has some of my rehabbing this month. I’ve painted the windows in the kitchen, and made some nice white shelves for them. So now I’m displaying plants and some antique dust collectors, haha. I’ve also sanded and painted the white tile backsplash, and wow, did it come out nice. Looks brand new. Next up are the cabinets and then the walls, and finally the floor. After the cabinets are done, I’ll have the counters and sink measured out for new. You’ll also see how my book shelves are evolving in this issue. Just for a heads up, the Raven Awards will be back in 2024. All books receiving a 4 Star review or better are automatically entered. Be on the look out for more information in the months to come. We will be continuing with the “Buy 2, Get 1” promotion we’ve been running into 2024. The promotion will only be for Full Page Ads, so if you buy 2, you will get one free. No other advertising will be eligible. With the issues selling out advertising more frequently, this gives more opportunities for all in advertising in the magazine. It really does help from a marketing standpoint, to have an advertisment run three issues in a row to repeat in the readers mind. You don’t just see a commercial on TV one time and remember it, right? So we will continue to try and provide the best bang for your buck and get the most eyes we can on your work. Enjoy the November/December issue of Uncaged Book Reviews and I wish a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to all.

X CYRENE 4| uncagedbooks.com

contents FEATUREauthors 14

Anne Armistead

Alyxandra Harvey

Alexa Aston

K.T. Anglehart

J.L. Sullivan

time travel romance

historical romance

YA fantasy

YA urban fantasy

T.M. Smith

114

W.L. Hawkin

128

Luke Swanson

142

Troy Hollan

paranormal romance

ya fantasy

cozy mystery

humor adventure

Issue 74 | November/December 2023 3 Page Promos

2 Page Showcases

It May Be True

Shadows of the Future

78 84 108 110 126 140 148 150

35 47

Robert L. Snider Robert J. Rubinetti

A View Through the Speculum Judy Warrenton

Words I Wrote Keith Ricketts

The Eleventh Hour

Healing Verses

Cast the First Stone

The Power of Poetry’s

Alan M. McDaniels Sophie Serna Keith Mack, M.D.

Tres Augustine Parker

Truly Blessed Jonathan Miller

137 Man on a Mission

William Fortenbaugh Dr. LeMoyne Brown Curtis Alan Woods Virginia B. Stevens D. J. Clary Jim Boersema Tullie Bailey Marilyn Lee

a life in motion

52 Making it Ours - A Start at Renovations

authors and their pets Feature Authors introduce you to 80 Uncaged’s their devoted writing buddies, and the devotion goes both ways.

Darryl L. Mincey

Cover by Cyrene

Inspired by a tutorial from dk design | model © https://www.deviantart.com/ jeni-sue, bear © https://www.deviantart.com/quiet-bliss

guest columns 60

From the Front Lawn David Bowles

106

Balancing the Demands of Creativity and Reality Zachary Hagen

4 Note from the Editor 7 Contributors|Partnerships 154 Uncaged Reviews 160 Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews

Uncaged on Threads Uncaged on Instagram

Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 5

Contributors | Partnerships

Follow Uncaged on Facebook

Paranormal lover’s rejoice. Uncaged review contributors.

Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 7

upcomingconventions Uncaged will watch for any cancelations or modifications for the 2024 season. Please watch their websites for information as the dates get closer.

Books by the Banks November 19; Cincinnati, OH https://booksbythebanks.org/

Coastal Magic Convention February 22-25 2024; Daytona Beach, FL https://coastalmagicconvention.com/

Sunshine State Book Festival January 26-27 2024; Gainesville, FL https://sunshinestatebookfestival.com/

Fresh Book Festival February 22-24 2024; Daytona Beach, FL https://www.freshbookfestivals.net/freshbookfest2024

Savannah Book Festival February 15 – 18, 2024; Savannah, GA https://www.savannahbookfestival.org/ 8| uncagedbooks.com |

Amelia Island Book Festival February 24, 2024; Fernandina Beach, FL https://www.ameliaislandbookfestival.org/authorexpo-readers-extravaganza

feature authors

Anne Armistead

historical romance

Alyxandra Harvey

Alexa Aston

14 | UncagedBooks.com

Anne

ARMISTEAD A nne Armistead is the award-winning author of love stories, past and present. She writes romances in multi-genres, including historical, fantasy, and contemporary. When she’s not conjuring tales to write, she’s reading those written by others.

Uncaged welcomes Anne Armistead Welcome to Uncaged! Your newest book, A Tryst in Paris is a time traveler romance and is book one in The Carousel Time Traveler series. Can you tell readers more about this book? Will readers be able to read each one as a standalone? A Tryst in Paris is about the adventures of Mirabelle Montgomery. While antique shopping for her ill mother in Paris, she is transported to 1900 Paris when she visits the Luxembourg Carousel. A mysterious time shifter has sent her to reset the fate of a man, and she is captive back in time until she accomplishes this mission. When she meets a sexy ex-police detective Jacques Thibaut, whose stellar career has been shattered by rumors he consorts with anarchists and assassins, Mirabelle believes she has found her man. Her determination to correct his life’s course by proving him innocent sparks passion between them. What happens in 1900 Paris, stays in 1900 Paris . . . or does it? The Carousel Time Traveler trilogy has a closely connected story involving the characters introduced in Book One, but the reader can read them as standalones. What are you working on now that you can tell us about?

I am working on Book Two of The Carousel Time Traveler, in which Mirabelle travels back to 1925 Paris. I am also working on my second contemporary sweet Christmas romance because I love Hallmark Christmas movies (as corny and hokey as they are) and I enjoyed writing my first one, A Christmas Cannoli Kiss. In addition, I am plotting a small-town romance series that will revolve around second chances at love. What is the most difficult scene for you to write? What is the easiest? The opening scene is always the hardest because you strive to hook the reader’s interest right away yet not divulge too much backstory. The easiest scene is two words: THE END. How do you come up with names for your characters? I research names of the time era and look for names whose meanings relate to the personalities of my characters. For instance, in Dangerous Conjurings my protagonist is Leah, meaning weary. Leah is living in the aftermath of the American Civil War Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 15

FEATURE AUTHOR and weary describes her outlook because of how the violence of the war impacted her family, taking the lives of her brother and also of the man she planned to marry. Do you read reviews? What do you take away from them? I do read reviews, which I would like to encourage readers to post. I appreciate constructive criticism, which I use to improve my writing. Snark I ignore. What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most? I write children’s stories for Highlight Magazine under my legal name Sandra Havriluk and romance under my middle – maiden name Anne Armistead. My Armistead ancestors include Major George Armistead who commissioned the “Star Spangled Banner Flag,” which is on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, DC. This flag flew over Fort McHenry and inspired Francis Scott Key’s writing of our national anthem. Another ancestor is Lewis Armistead, a Confederate General who led Pickett’s charge at the Battle of Gettysburg and whose friendship the Union General Winfield Scott Hancock is immortalized in the Pulitzer Prize winning novel Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. Which comes first, the plot or the characters in the planning stages? A plot and its characters come to me together, although the characters are not fully fleshed out at that initial time. I am a “plantser,” a combination of a plotter and a pantser. I do outline the beats of a story, but as my main and secondary characters come alive on the page with all their nuances and layers, they create twists and turns I haven’t foreseen, resulting in adjustments to the plot. 16 | UncagedBooks.com

ANNE ARMISTEAD What are some things you like to do to relax when you aren’t writing or working? Right now, I am treasuring time spent with my grandsons, aged two and newborn. I do enjoy watching BBC television, walking, and reading. Do you prefer ebooks, audiobooks or physical books? Are you reading anything now? I read on Kindle, but I prefer physical books. I love thrillers and am reading Hank Phillippi Ryan’s latest House Guest. I am also reading Jacqueline Frost’s Christmas Tree Farm Mysteries. What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you? Envisioning something I’ve written in the hands of the reader is magical for me. I wish I could meet in person everyone who takes time in their lives to read my books and thank them for their support. My social media links, email address and signup for my newsletter can be found on my website.

Stay Connected annearmisteadauthor.com

Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 17

FEATURE AUTHOR

Enjoy an excerpt from A Tryst in Paris A Tryst in Paris Anne Armistead Time Travel Romance

thing.

Mirabelle Montgomery is a reluctant time traveler stranded in 1900 Paris until she proves the dangerously sexy Jacques Thibaut innocent of a crime . . . but their falling in love could jeopardize everyExcerpt

Chapter Six Animated voices speaking French awakened Mira. She flipped onto her back and stretched long, wondering if Sylvie’s neighbors were having a row. When she opened her eyes, a spackled plaster ceiling greeted her instead of the canopy above her godmother’s guest bed. Mira bolted upright, digging her fingers into the red woolen blanket covering her. Her sudden movement triggered a burst of pain behind her eyes. She swallowed against a surge of nausea. Her body ached as if she’d run a marathon. The flimsy cotton nightgown she wore did little to dispel her chilled-to-the-bone shivering. The room’s small old-timey wall radiator provided little heat. The numbness of her hands caused her moonstone ring to turn loosely on her finger. Shivering, Mira tucked the woolen blanket tightly around herself. She saw only a brick wall from the window. The view provided no hint of her geographic location, but she assumed she was in Paris. 18 | UncagedBooks.com

The set designer in her catalogued her surroundings. The room’s furnishings reminded her somewhat of the Van Gogh painting, “The Bedroom.” Lilac-painted walls. Dull-yellow-painted headboard and matching bureau. Orange wooden table holding a pitcher, basin, and vintage men’s toiletries. A wooden slatted-back chair, with a lady’s wide-brimmed hat adorned with plumage and gloves resting on its the seat and her cape folded over its back. In the other corner, an articulated dressing screen with butterflies flitting among vines painted on its panels. A skirt and bodice and undergarments hung from it. Boots belonging to a lady sat on the floor beside it. The raised voices of a man and woman drew Mira’s attention once more. She recognized their names tossed back and forth: Jaco, Bébé. Jaco was insisting Bébé not mention taking “that woman” to Susette again. I assume he is referring to me as “that woman” but who is Susette? Mira pressed her fingertips to her pounding forehead. Memory fragments began sorting into place, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, until she accepted the unacceptable fact: Le Veille transported her to 1900 Paris to do his bidding. Vanish into the past which holds your future. Return only if you right the wrong destiny that has befallen him. A paradox. I hate paradoxes. Her body trembled, not from the cold but from remembering Carolyn’s unfinished text: Mira, catch the next plane. Your mother has . . . That’s why she had been searching for her phone. What did the rest of the text say? She closed her eyes tightly, and tears slid from them. The voices outside the room grew louder. Her breathing became short and shallow. What did she know of these two? What if they held her prisoner for evil pur-

ANNE ARMISTEAD poses? If Le Veille had not given her the antique coin purse with the odd message in it . . . if she had not followed the message’s instructions . . . she’d be at Sylvie’s, where she belonged. She must find her way to her own time. What was the law of science she learned from suffering through high school physics? “For every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction.” Mira spoke the words aloud, a plan forming. “If the Carousel’s elephant thrust me back in time, it should operate in reverse to thrust me forward, to my present day.” A sharp rap at the door silenced her. Terror shimmied through her. The small room offered no hiding place. Her eyes landed on the large silver hairbrush with a handle amongst the men’s toiletries. She leapt to grab it. The chair toppled from her hasty movement. Satisfied with the brush’s heft, she stood against the wall where the opened door would hide her. “Mirabelle?” The door creaked open against where she hid. “It’s Bernadette. Are you awake, mon amie?” “May we come in?” The slimly built girl pushed the door open and entered the room. Mira jumped out from behind the door, wielding the hairbrush against her.

how to fight? Or only you, a mysterious woman, who suddenly appeared in my path?” She snapped her fingers in the air. “You were not there, and then you were. A magic trick. Poof. In a disoriented state, may I add. You appeared to have been pushed into the wringer.” “Gone through the wringer.” Mira whispered the correction, thinking how accurate of a description. “Mlle, you have nothing to fear from us.” Jacques stepped toward her. Mira surrendered the brush to him. Her face heated at the memory of collapsing into his arms. He tossed the brush onto the bed, leaned against the doorframe, and crossed his arms. “Bernadette describes you correctly. You are mysterious.” He slowly flicked his eyes over her. His lascivious attention reminded her of the nightgown’s transparency and of his insulting innuendos when they first met. Gueule de bois.

Don’t miss this holiday title:

Bernadette’s scream pierced the air. Jacques charged through the door and gripped Mira’s wrist tightly. Instinctively, she flew into a Jujitsu move her ex taught her. She rotated her wrist clockwise in his grip, so her palm pointed toward her face. She forcefully thrust her hand onto Jacques’, and his hand flew from her. Her move worked like a charm, except Jacques’ muscular frame blocked the door. “She beat you, Jaco.” Bernadette burst into nervous laughter. “Mirabelle, do all American women know Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 19

robertlsnider.com

28 | UncagedBooks.com

Alyxandra

harvey

lyxandra Harvey is the author of The Cinderella Society, The Dainty Devils, The Drake Chronicles, The Witches of London, Haunting Violet and more!

She likes chai lattes, tattoos, and books. Sometimes fueled by literary rage.

Uncaged welcomes Alyxandra Harvey Welcome to Uncaged! The Countess Caper released on October 24 th , (this will publish after the release) and is the second book in a series called The Dainty Devils. Can you tell us more about this book and the series? Thank you so much! The Dainty Devils is my first historical romance series for Dragonblade’s Flame line, and it’s been such fun! It focuses on women outside of the usual restrictions of Regency Society… and the law. A Lady Smuggler, a Highwaywoman, and an Art Thief break all of the rules for love! (And it can be read out of order)

time. But she also gets a marriage proposal. Because Roarke needs a wife. And with Tessa he gets more than he bargained for. She won’t tell him why she is fighting off housebreakers and stealing from earls and viscounts. Or why her disaster of a house is rigged with traps to discourage unwanted visitors. But when those secrets put her life in danger, Roarke discovers he will do anything to save her. What are you working on now that you can tell us about?

The Countess Caper focuses on Tessa who has bought a dilapidated house in the middle of nowhere and fills it with women who are hiding from Society. Tessa will do anything to keep them safe.

I’m currently working on The Husband Heist which is the third book in the series, about Lady Summer who pops up in the earlier books. She steals back an art collection for a friend…and ends us with secret spy information… and a handsome earl!

Even steal a carriage from Roarke Noble, the Earl of Dartmoor.

What is the most difficult scene for you to write? What is the easiest?

As her first foray into being a highwaywoman, it has mixed results. She gets her cousin to the midwife just in

The hardest scene is usually somewhere in the middle---when I’ve followed my characters into a Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 29

FEATURE AUTHOR plot muddle that I then have to untangle! The easiest is often the very first scene. It’s such fun to jump right in and meet a new couple! A scene pops into my head and then we’re off! I don’t always know where we’re going but we figure it out on the way. How do you come up with names for your characters? I keep lists of names I like, and names that were common in Regency England. Occasionally I will outright steal a name from way back in my own family tree. A little-known perk of genealogy! Do you read reviews? What do you take away from them? I don’t often read reviews anymore. I did when I first started out because I was so curious but at the end of the day it’s not a conversation that’s for me. I think it’s best to keep respectful boundaries. (I still do peek sometimes!) (Uncaged follow-up: please read mine in the review section on The Duchess Games) What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most? I volunteered for an archaeologist when I was in high school one summer, cleaning bones and artifacts and I loved it. I’ve been an extra in small indie movies and it’s so great to be in that space where everyone is working together on one big piece of art. Which comes first, the plot or the characters in the planning stages? A bit of both! Usually, I start with a single scene, and I explore the characters from there. The plot unfolds organically until I paint myself into a corner and have to get a bit more detail oriented. What are some things you like to do to relax when 30 | UncagedBooks.com

you aren’t writing or working? I like to paint--- (not great) abstracts, doodles. Work (again badly) on a loom, needlepoint, try to befriend the crows in the neighbourhood. All the very modern, practical accomplishments of a Medieval (or Regency!) octogenarian. And I get more tattoos! (Uncaged follow-up: I think the paintings are beautiful!!! Who’s with me on this????) Do you prefer ebooks, audiobooks or physical books? Are you reading anything now? I like all the versions! I do prefer physical books but I don’t turn my nose up at the others. I have a bit of a hard time with audiobooks, mostly because I can read

ALYXANDRA HARVEY

Enjoy an excerpt from The Countess Caper The Countess Caper Alyxandra Harvey Historical Regency Polite Society isn’t ready for this Marriage of Convenience. Lady Tessa Kilkenny’s ramshackle manor house is filled with mice and snakes and peeling wallpaper—as well as women with nowhere else to go. And Tessa will do anything to keep them safe. Even steal a carriage from Roarke Noble, the Earl of Dartmoor.

faster than I can listen and if I get too enthralled I end standing in the middle of the road/grocery store/etc like a very creepy Weeping Angel statue. What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you? There are so many stories out there and I’m so grateful you’ve decided to jump into my little worlds. I can currently be found on Instagram and BlueSky. I have a small series of older Tik Tok videos on my favourite weird historical trivia as well.

Stay Connected

As her first foray into being a highwaywoman, it has mixed results. She gets her cousin to the midwife just in time. But she also gets a marriage proposal. Because Roarke needs a wife. And with Tessa he gets more than he bargained for. She won’t tell him why she is fighting off housebreakers and stealing from earls and viscounts. Or why her disaster of a house is rigged with traps to discourage unwanted visitors. But when those secrets put her life in danger, Roarke discovers he will do anything to save her. A debutante turned highwaywoman, a reclusive earl, and a marriage of convenience. Can the fire between them burn hotter than their secrets? Excerpt Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 31

FEATURE AUTHOR Chapter One

bit of work to burn, to be honest.

On the last Wednesday of September, Lady Tessa Kilkenny stole a man.

Still, The Incident followed her.

She didn’t mean to. But she wasn’t giving him back. At least, not yet. There simply wasn’t time. She needed his carriage, and he happened to be inside of it. That was his own bad luck and nothing to do with her.

A week later, a month later. A year later. And she wasn’t the least bit sorry for it. Lord Tewksbury got what he deserved. He deserved far worse, but she had acted on impulse with the tools at hand. And now here she was.

Mostly.

Ruined. Banned from Society. Disdained.

Anyway, he would survive. Her cousin Dove might not.

And stuck in a thunderstorm with her cousin crouched in the mud, shouting obscenities.

And to think that this time last year she had been sitting down to another interminable tea, her ankles crossed, her gloves pristine, her smile polite and as sweet as the teacakes being served. She had told stories, played the pianoforte when asked, laughed when appropriate, murmured when necessary, her spine straight no matter how tired she was.

As one of Tessa’s first forays into being a highwaywoman, it left something to be desired. But she could hardly be held responsible for Dove’s situation. Or the timing of babies deciding they were ready to fling themselves into the world. If she was, she’d have chosen a much warmer day, and a much closer proximity to a midwife. Any midwife, but preferably Noni from the village, which was an hour’s walk away.

She’d survived it with another of those terrible smiles because it was meant to protect her, to make her family love her. She was a lark, always up for a laugh. It was meant to save her cousin Deirdre from ruin, and so much worse.

She didn’t know the first thing about childbirth.

When it did neither, what, as a woman, was she to do? Burn it all down. Metaphorically, of course. She would never damage a three-hundred-year-old house with better bones and a better reputation than anyone in her life. Than herself, come to that. Her reputation had not improved. Not to mention Mayfair, with its cobbled stones and marble pillars, would be a 32 | UncagedBooks.com

Neither did Dove, regrettably. She went by Marigold now, changing her name as they all did when moving to Magpie House. It was safer that way. Only Tessa kept her name because she was not in hiding. And no one was looking for her. Certainly, no one wanted to find her. Dove—Marigold—hadn’t even realized the night she spent with a viscount could result in a pregnancy. Her parents could choke on their indignation and embarrassment. They kept their daughter ignorant and handed all of the power to an unscrupulous viscount who would choke on something more than shame the very moment Tessa found him. He’d pay dearly, both figuratively and literally.

ALYXANDRA HARVEY And now here they were, waiting for said viscount, so that Tessa could threaten him with her pistol and steal all of his coins. She planned to shoot at the sky very dramatically if he pressed her. Babies were expensive. Marigold should be in her rickety bed at Magpie House with her feet up, but she had insisted on coming along, just so she could spy from the bushes to watch him squirm and sputter.

boot and no hat. A little storm would never stop him.

The viscount had yet to make an appearance. Instead, Marigold was the one squirming. And panting. And holding on to a tree while seething with curse words. Her cheeks went from pale to red and back to pale.

What could go wrong?

“I love you,” Tessa said. “But I can’t boost you into the saddle. It would be like lifting a whale.” “I’m going to punch you for that remark, Tessa Kilkenny.” Marigold made a strange sort of sound and clutched her belly. “Later.” “Do not have this baby in the lilac bush before I get back,” Tessa ordered her. “Hurry.” Tessa paused, momentarily undecided. She didn’t want to leave her alone. But they needed a midwife. And a carriage to get there. “Bollocks.” “That’s what got me into this situation in the first place.” Marigold had spent the last seven months learning everything she could about human anatomy. About illness and medicine and childbirth. About truly disgusting things Tessa would have preferred never to know about.

Tessa, unfortunately, would have to steal a carriage from the first person she encountered or else from the coaching inn nearby. She had breeches, her fairly inaccurate pistol with a single shot, and a rusty antique dagger she had found in the attic.

The busy road, usually clotted with traffic traveling to and from the Cornish coast, was deserted. Of course it was. The sky, which had started out clear and bright, was darkening rapidly. Rain would soon follow. “Bollocks,” she muttered again. She was not going to let Marigold give birth alone in the mud. The coaching inn came into view, on the crest of the next hill, wind-stunted trees standing sentinel. The smell of wood smoke and stables whipped down toward her. A single fat raindrop hit the tip of her nose. She pointed at the gray clouds. “Absolutely not.” The stable yard was empty, with only hay under her boots as she dismounted and a sullen stable hand poking his head out. Behind him, shining like the sun, was a carriage. It clearly belonged to a nobleman, already hitched with strong horses who looked like they knew how to handle a spot of trouble.

“Just go,” she grunted.

She could absolutely change her name to Trouble. She would have tried to manage the reins, even having never handled four horses at once. She was deeply, deeply grateful not to have to make the attempt. A coachman already sat up on the bench, waiting for his master.

Tessa swung into the saddle, made so much easier by her stolen breeches. She had created an alter ego whose name was Acton. He was very capable. He could find a carriage through sheer luck. In the dark. With a single

Tessa lowered her tricorn hat a touch, hoping it shaded her face, and made sure her very distinctly red hair was stuffed up inside. She tossed the reins to the stable hand and pitched her voice low. It

“True enough.”

Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 33

FEATURE AUTHOR only sounded a little bit like she had a mouthful of rocks. “Stable the horse for Lady Delacourt,” she ordered him. The innkeeper’s wife knew the code name and would take good care of Foxglove. She had helped her sister once, the same way she was helping Marigold. To the coachman, Tessa called up, “Your master needs to get me on the road to Fox Hollow. At once.” She threw herself into the carriage before he could question her. She had only her appearance of authority to back her up. This part would have worked much better were she wearing the fine silk gowns of Lady Tessa, the bright, flighty smile that promised a caper. She kept her hand on her pistol. She’d hate to have to stand up through the roof opening to threaten him, but she would do so in a heartbeat. Another raindrop spattered in the dirt. She landed on the carriage seat, took a deep breath, and then let out a gurgle of a shout, quickly cut off. She could not afford histrionics. The shadow sitting across from her implied it was a very big man. Very big. A large boot touched her own. Honestly, if the Fates could be just a bit more helpful today… Apparently not. “I’m sorry,” she said, holding up her pistol. Adrenaline shimmered through her, along with worry for Marigold, but her hand did not shake. She could be proud of that later. “But I don’t have time for this.” 34 | UncagedBooks.com

“I don’t much have time for being robbed,” came the dry response. “I’m only borrowing.” There was a pause, an exhale. “Lady Tessa,” the shadow said darkly. “Why am I not surprised?” How did he know it was her? She hadn’t pulled her scarf up, but her hat, her clothes, the gray light from the storm should have been enough. Her hair was hidden. And this was not the Tessa Kilkenny anyone in Mayfair would recognize. She glared at him. He shifted slightly. She growled. There was no other word for it. “You.”

Don’t miss this title:

Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 35

Photo © Rich Soublet 40 | UncagedBooks.com

Alexa

Aston

SA Today and Amazon Top 100 bestselling author Alexa Aston’s historical romances use history as a backdrop to place her characters in extraordinary circumstances, where their intense desire for one another grows into the treasured gift of love. Her contemporary romances are light and flirty and sometimes contain a bit of suspense.

She is the author of 16 historical and contemporary romance series, including Suddenly a Duke, Second Sons of London, Dukes Done Wrong, Sugar Springs, and Hollywood Name Game. A native Texan, Alexa lives with her husband in a Dallas suburb, where she eats her fair share of dark chocolate and plots stories while she walks every morning. She enjoys a great Netflix binge, reading, and travel, and she has the two most adorable grandkids on the planet. Uncaged welcomes Alexa Aston Welcome to Uncaged! Your newest book, Training the Duke released on October 12 and is part of a series called Suddenly a Duke. Can you tell us more about the series and this book? AA: Suddenly a Duke is an 8-book Regency romance series. I love a fish out of water story, and so my 8 heroes gain their unexpected dukedoms and have to adjust to their new lives as a duke. These dukes find themselves attracted to interesting females Polite Society does not believe worthy of holding the title of duchess. The heroines I this series are not typical ladies of the ton. One is a portrait painter. Another composes music. Two are designers—of hats and furniture. One is even a famed Bow Street runner! Fortunately, these dukes choose to forge their own paths with these remarkable women and find that trusting their heart is always the right choice. Training the Duke’s unusual heroine, Lady Finola Hon-

eyfield, is a dog trainer, specializing in training English springer spaniels. Army officer Cyrus Cressley’s head wound has left him alive but blind in one eye, so he is unsuited to lead soldiers into battle. He returns to his childhood home to heal and find a purpose in life—and Finola’s adorable pups bring the two of them together. Of course, both Cy and Finola hold close a few secrets, and things become even more complicated when he suddenly becomes the Duke of Margate. Cy must convince Finola they are meant to be together. What are you working on now that you can tell us about? AA: I have two different series in the works for 2024. My Regency historical romance series, The Strongs of Shadowcrest is my first family series I’ve written since my popular St. Clairs. It will tell the love stories of the Strong family, including eldest brother James; Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 41

FEATURE AUTHOR his four half-sisters; the girls’ mother; and his two cousins. This series will release between February & October. My small-town contemporary romance series is set deep in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, where people come seeking new opportunities and a chance to reinvent themselves—and maybe even find love. Lost Creek is a 5-book series, and a new romance will drop each month from May to October. What is the most difficult scene for you to write? What is the easiest? AA: That can vary from book to book, based upon the plot and the personalities of my characters. In general, the hardest scenes are the ones where I’m ripping my hero & heroine apart, and it looks as if they’ll never find their way back to one another. The easiest for me are my epilogues because those are full of joy as I peel back the curtain so readers can see the characters they’ve grown to love in the near or distant future. I think it’s satisfying to allow readers to see how deeply my couples still love one another—and a LOT of times we see babies and children in these epilogues! How do you come up with names for your characters? AA: That’s actually the first step in my writing process, deciding upon the perfect name. I can fret DAYS over this! I’ve looked at baby name books. Searched online for names historically accurate to the era I’m writing in. I’ve even made up names or created unusual spellings for existing ones. In medieval times, the modern spelling of Alice became Alys in one romance. A western hero named Zachariah went by Rye. Regency hero William Finchley was nicknamed Finch. Once I find the right names for my hero & heroine (and those names sound good when coupled together), I can then start drawing up physical descriptions, assigning character traits, and creating backstories which will influence the plot and romance. 42 | UncagedBooks.com

Do you read reviews? What do you take away from them? AA: I have found reading reviews can eat away at your soul. For every 99 great reviews, there is always that 1 which is soul-sucking (and usually gets the name of your character or plot points wrong, which makes me wonder if that reviewer even read my book!). For the most part, I skim them. I am grateful for each review I do receive because a reader has taken the time to let the world know what he or she thought about my work, but I try not to dwell on them or let them influence my writing. What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most? AA: I was a career teacher. For most of my teaching years, I taught high school history. So many people stereotype teachers, not thinking of them as even being people, much less someone who might write romance. I remember seeing students and parents at the grocery story (what we in the profession called “out in the wild” sightings). They would be shocked seeing me there, realizing I actually had a family to shop and cook for and that I ATE like a real person! Which comes first, the plot or the characters in the planning stages? AA: Always and forever, the characters. There IS no story without characters! Once I have fully formed my hero & heroine (and sometimes, the villain), then I can begin to think about plotlines. What are some things you like to do to relax when you aren’t writing or working? AA: I love to walk! Getting outdoors in nature and escaping the confines of my office, where I spend so many hours writing, is very important to me. I’m also a big binge-watcher. A reader. I love movies (and wish I could write screenplays), and I enjoy traveling. This year, Mr. Aston and I took a much-delayed (thanks, COVID!) trip to London. I also visited my best friend in Montana,

ALEXA ASTON where we went to Glacier NP and Yellowstone. Mr. Aston and I are also going on an October Mediterranean cruise to celebrate a big birthday for me (I’m a Halloween baby).

Enjoy an excerpt from Training the Duke Training the Duke Alexa Aston Historical Regency

Do you prefer ebooks, audiobooks or physical books? Are you reading anything now? AA: Actually, I enjoy all three! For traveling, ebooks are a no-brainer. Gone are the days of me packing an entire carryon with 8 heavy books! I enjoy listening to audiobooks on long car trips, and I do like the feel of smoothing the pages of a physical book. That’s so comforting.

An army officer who has returned to his childhood home . . .

A few of the books I’ve read recently: Daniel Silva’s The Collector; Brad Thor’s Dead Fall; and Elin Hilderbrand’s The Five-Star Weekend. And I have gobbled up my good friend Meara Platt’s new series Moonstone Landing!

An earl’s daughter forced to earn her own living . . . Two damaged souls who find friendship .

What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you?

. . and love . . .

AA: I thoroughly enjoy hearing from fans. My words to them would be ones of gratitude, thanking them for supporting me as they accompany me on this writing journey we’re on together. After teaching many years, writing has become a new and incredible chapter in my life, one which I find very fulfilling. Writing challenges me and stretches my creativity to the limit—but I adore every single minute I spend with my characters.

Lieutenant-General Cyrus Cressley’s head wound leaves him blind in one eye and unsuited to lead men into battle. Selling his commission, Cy returns to Melrose to find his father long dead and his distant brother, who is in poor health, the new Duke of Margate. Cy is given use of the hunting lodge on the estate, where he seeks to find his purpose in life after being forced from the military.

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alexaaston.com

Lady Finola Honeyfield’s come-out was ruined when a cruel trick was played upon her, leaving her to trust no one but her dogs. She retreats to the country and becomes one of England’s premier trainers of English springer spaniels, having found a way to earn her keep, even as she is lost in loneliness. Thanks to her Honeyfield spaniels, Finola has a chance meeting with Cy. Soon, a friendship springs up between them, with Cy even helping Finola train her current litter of pups. But these two keep secrets from one another and when Cy suddenly finds himself the Duke of Margate, Finola washes her hands of him. Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 43

FEATURE AUTHOR Can Cy convince Finola they are meant to be together and forge a path as the Duke and Duchess of Margate—or will her mistrust of gentlemen of the ton keep them apart forever? Excerpt “My commitment to you is unbreakable, Finola,” Cy said, holding her hand as she perched on the bed where he lay. “I may not bring a wealth of worldly goods into our marriage, but know that my love is the biggest gift I can offer you.” He kissed her tenderly. “Will you allow us to live at Belldale?” she asked quietly, and he saw the worry in her eyes. “It has been your home for many years. I would not take you from it or your dogs. The sale of my commission will bring in some income for us to live on, but you will need to continue training and selling your Honeyfield spaniels.” “We,” she emphasized. “We will train them together. Perhaps we should rename them Cressley spaniels.” The thought left a sour taste within him. Cy wanted no association with his brother or father touching his relationship with Finola. “No, they are to remain Honeyfield spaniels. That is what they are known as. It will be your lasting legacy, and I am more than happy to continue to help you in this work.” She touched his cheek, stroking her fingers against it. “Bertie will be happy about this turn of events.” Cy chuckled. “He will, indeed. And speaking of Bertie, where is the lad?” “I sent him to Belldale to work with the dogs today so I could stay with you since your headache was so debilitating.” He kissed her hand. “Thank you for being with me during the worst of it. I am much better now. Dr. Sheffley said the headaches, like my eyesight, are results of the bullet entering my head and the 44 | UncagedBooks.com

swelling and stress that resulted from that. I hope if my sight returns that the headaches might end.” Finola rose from the bed, saying, “Dr. Addams will return tomorrow morning to check on you.” “What of Stoneham? And Pollux? When do you plan on delivering the pup to the duke?” “His Grace knows I wanted you and Bertie to accompany me. He said he would send his carriage again the day after tomorrow, hoping you would be fully recovered by then.” Cy took her hand, bringing it to his lips for a tender kiss. “When will you wed me?” “I suppose in three weeks’ time. It will take that long to call the banns.” “There are other ways to speed things up,” he told her. “You mean for us to go all the way to Gretna Green?” He chuckled. “No, Scotland is much too far away. I knew of an officer who obtained a bishop’s license before he left for the war. It doesn’t give quite the freedom a special license does, but that cost is a little too rich for this retired soldier’s blood. With a bishop’s license, we can avoid calling the banns. We could then wed in the local parish church during morning hours between eight and noon.” She brightened at that prospect, and love for this woman filled his heart. “Would you like me to pursue one of those?” “I will share the costs with you,” she said. “After all, we are both getting married.” Since he had no idea how much a bishop’s license cost, he almost agreed to her proposal. Still, his masculine pride would not allow him to do so. “No, I should be the one who provides the license. I will ride into Chichester tomorrow and meet with the bishop. That is, if you will lend me the use of your horse.” “Will you feel well enough to do so?” He laughed, pushing from the bed and coming to his feet, where he kissed her soundly. “I feel on top of the world, my love. I am to wed the woman I love. One who loves me in return, despite my being blind in one

ALEXA ASTON eye and homeless.” “I don’t care about those things.” She paused. “Will you seek permission from His Grace to wed?” He frowned. “I am going to see His Grace, the Bishop of Chichester, Finola.” “No, I meant your relative, the Duke of Margate.” “I am a grown man,” he said curtly. “I have no need to seek his permission.” Seeing the surprised look on her face, he softened his tone. “We are related but have never been close. I will let him know when I vacate his hunting lodge but beyond that, I owe Margate nothing.”

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What he did owe Finola, though, was the truth. It was time she learned exactly who he was. “I need to—” But he heard the front door open and knew Bertie had arrived. Moments later, the boy appeared in the bedroom doorway. “I have business to conduct tomorrow,” Cy told the boy, “so we will skip our lessons. Instead, you will work with Finola, training the pups.” “Shouldn’t I come with you?” Bertie asked. “I will be fine on my own. Finola is lending me the use of her horse. And when we travel to deliver the dog to His Grace, I will tell you more about the history of England along the way.” Finola took her leave, telling Cy, “I will see you the day after tomorrow. Be ready for our trip to Stonecrest.” “I look forward to it, Finola.” Cy watched his new fiancée leave. He would have to speak with her privately after he returned from Chichester to inform her exactly who she was marrying. He didn’t think it would make a difference now because they loved one another. Still, the sooner she learned that he was the second son of the deceased Duke of Margate, the better. Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 45

A Life in Motion

Life in rural Wisconsin

Making it Ours

A Start at Renovations

A LIFE IN MOTION COLUMN

A Life in Motion – November/December 2023

Both windows after

Making it Ours - A Start at Renovations As I said before, the house we moved into was built in the 1950s. So it needs some cosmetic upgrades. It’s a charming house with arched doorways and we will do it a little at a time. Right now, I’m concentrating the most on the kitchen and a bit of my office. The kitchen is not very big, and it’s mostly a squared off area. In the souteast corner of the kitchen are corner windows, a set of 4 windows on each wall. It lets in a lot of nice light, but they are the old crank style windows and eventually, we will have them repaired or replaced. But for now, they were dirty and in dire need of some paint. So I scrubbed the windows down as clean as I could get them, and then put on a new coat of white paint. East window before

I then bought some white shelf brackets and a couple pieces of board. I cut them to the length I wanted, sanded down the edges and painted them white. Since the windows bring in so much light, it was a perfect place to set up some plants, and some of my antique statues.

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Next I started tackling the kitchen backsplash tile. It’s the really small tiles, that were yellowing in the grout area and looked tired and worn out. First I cleaned them with a good grease cutter, and then sanded them down with a fine sandpaper to get anything else off that the grease cleaning might have missed. I did not use a primer for the tile since I was going white on white. I used a nice tile paint and the difference is amazing. I’ll do this in stages, first was over the stove.

CYRENE OLSON

I also started working on my office. First off, I set up the new computer, which was a lot less painful than I thought it would be. It’s nice to work with dual monitors. I’m not a huge fan of the monitor that came with the computer, but it will do for now until I replace it.

I was really happy to learn I could paint tile successfulluy. This should be able to handle any washings in the future.

Next, I really wanted my books out of boxes. They’ve been stored away for years. In my office, there was a set of 3 shelves. I added a fourth shelf to even it out, and the books that I didn’t lose in a house flood years ago were finally back in the light. I added some statues, plants and even my stuffed sloth. A string of ivy with lights finished it off. Once I paint the room, I will also paint the shelves. And of course, there is always room for more.....

Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 53

A LIFE IN MOTION COLUMN

I hope you are inspired to do your own makeovers. I do watch a lot of home improvement shows, and frequent a lot of the websites, but it’s always great to put your own spin on things and put your personality into it.

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From the Front Lawn Guest column by David A. Bowles

Guest Column

From the Front Lawn By David A. Bowles

It was on the front lawn of our South Austin home when I first heard the tale, I was destined to write. The story of a young family member being captured by Indians in Austin. The story stayed with me all these years as Fayette was nine and so was I. The modest home of the Bowles family was small, and our extended family was large. When they all came, we circled the lawn chairs, and the storytelling began. Under the moonlight tower on South First Street, which was one of thirty-one towers, unique only to Austin. We were never in the dark. My older brother and cousins played basketball under the glow of the towers as I listened to the stories of my ancestors, told by my aunts, and uncles. Some of the stories were so far-fetched, I had difficulty believing them. One was about my greatgreat grandfather Van Cleve building the Capitol. The granite building with the Goddess of Liberty on top, could be seen from Becker Elementary School in 1952. In the seventh grade at Fulmore Middle School. My Texas History teacher took the class on a field trip to the state Capitol. As we gazed up at the Texas Star on the ceiling of the rotunda, I mentioned to my teacher that my ancestor Lorenzo Van Cleve built the Capitol. She did not seem impressed but said, “if you write a story about it with documentation and references, I will give you extra credit.” After a visit to the school library, I found a book about the Capitol. I read it quickly as it was mostly pictures. There was no mention of Lorenzo Van Cleve. It mentioned that convict labor was used to cut the large limestone blocks used in construction. I decided not to research the subject any further. From that experience I learned the value of a library and documentation and references to back up a story. I often asked my father, uncles, and an aunt how they first heard the story of our ancestor building the Capitol. They always said the same thing, “that’s what Momma told me!” 60 | UncagedBooks.com

In 1985 I was given my great grandmother Van CleveBrown’s Bible she started after the Civil War. It and all the family records had been stored in a barn for decades. When I found the vital statistics page in the Bible, her father Lorenzo Van Cleve’s death was recorded as 1858. There was no way he could have built or worked on that Capitol at Eleventh and Congress as it was built in 1888, three decades after his death. Searching the family documents further, I found a copy of a request for payment from the Republic of Texas to Lorenzo Van Cleve for refinishing a table for President Mirabeau B. Lamar’s office. Signed by President Lamar. The request for sixty dollars was over two-thousand dollars in today’s money. I also discovered records that Lorenzo Van Cleve was a master furniture craftsman and finished federal buildings that included the first Capitol Building in Austin. It was good to know my grandmother did not tell a lie. Her grandfather built the first Capitol in Austin. It was on a knoll above Congress Avenue at E. Eighth and Hickory, now Colorado Street.

This small dog-trot style structure was built with pine board planking. It was on its porch that Texas officially became the twenty-eighth state in the Union at noon February 19, 1846. History books say that Texas was admitted to the Union on December 29, 1845. That was the day U.S. President Polk signed the joint resolution authorizing Texas to be annexed. It was not until February 19, 1846, that Anson Jones the last President of Texas lowered the Lone Star Flag and handed it to James Pickney Henderson the first

governor of the State of Texas. Anson Jones said to the crowd gathered at the old Capitol the Republic of Texas is no more! The U.S. Flag was raised, and the Lone Star Flag raised under the U.S. Flag.

Books are available in the BookPeople tent on Congress Ave. South of the Capitol during the festival. The two pictures above are sketches of the 1839 Capitol courtesy of the Austin History Center. ©Copyright 2023 David A. Bowles for Uncaged Book Reviews www.uncagedbooks.com Published with Permission

At a family gathering fifteen years ago, I prepared a three-ring binder with a family tree and photocopies of the documents I had at the time. I discovered they did not have the bug for genealogy as I had. After I published Spring House, a novel based on my family, the dialog and true-life events did create family interest. It also created readers who were not family and at this point, the Westward Sagas Series began. Adam’s Daughters, the second book found more readers who enjoyed the story of the founding of Jonesborough, Tennessee before statehood. Children of the Revolution, the third book ended in Tennessee after the War of 1812. The fourth book Comanche Trace is about the nine-year-old boy Fayette Smith who was captured by Comanche Indians on Shoal Creek in Austin, January 21, 1841. His father Judge James W. Smith was killed, the boy wounded in the attack and their horses taken. His Uncle a Texas Ranger, William W. Smith, sets out alone to find Fayette in Indian Territory. In the Sheriff of Starr County, William W. Smith was appointed sheriff and the only law on the Nueces Strip. This book will be featured at the upcoming Texas Book Festival in Austin, Texas, November 10-12. David will be participating in a panel discussion: “The Evolution of South Texas” Sunday, November 12 from 3:00-3:45 p.m. At the State Capitol Building, in the Capitol Extension E.2.016.

David A. Bowles is an International Award-Winning author who has published five novels in a series, known as the Westward Sagas. The stories are based on his great grandmother’s family and their journey from Chester County, Pennsylvania to Texas. The author is the fifth generation of his family to be born in Austin, Texas. His stories are based on years of historical research. A prolific writer, Bowles has written hundreds of stories about history and the true-life characters he has met and the ones he created. The fifth book in the series will be released February 7, 2023. Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 61

feature authors

ya fantasy | paranormal romance

K.T. Anglehart

J.L. Sullivan

T.M. Smith

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K.T.

ANGLEHART K atrina Tortorici Anglehart is an award-winning author from Montreal, with a multilingual prowess in English, French, Italian, and “Spanglish”. A dedicated academic, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, a graduate certificate in Scriptwriting, and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing.

Inspired by the wizarding world, the land of Narnia, and parallel planes, she penned The Wise One, inviting readers to connect with nature and its ever-present magic. Her exploration of the landscapes and folklore of Ireland and Scotland greatly influenced her debut YA urban fantasy, marking the inception of The Scottish Scrolls series.

K.T. Anglehart is a passionate advocate for bunnies, thanks to her late Netherland Dwarf, Magic—the inspiration behind her imprint, The Magic Dwarf Press. When she’s not writing or diving into magical reads, she revels in hiking, antiquing, and Netflix binges alongside her high school-sweetheart-turned-husband, Andy. They currently live in Toronto with their three pets: Nessie, a mysterious rescue dog from Puerto Rico, and their whimsical bunnies, Onyx and Stirling. Uncaged welcomes K.T. Anglehart Welcome to Uncaged! On November 16, you will release the second book in your Scottish Scrolls series, The Twin Flame. Can you tell readers more about this book and series? How many books are you planning on for the series? The Wise One and The Twin Flame are the first two books in The Scottish Scrolls series. The story follows Mckenna in 1991, who learns on her seventeenth birthday that she has innate magical gifts, passed down by her birth mother. Accompanied by a newfound friend named Nissa, she journeys to Ireland and Northern Ireland in search of answers and finds herself as the bridge to a realm of spirits, witches, faeries—and a dark prophecy.

What are you working on now that you can tell us about? The third installment of The Scottish Scrolls! And (shh!) I’m secretly outlining a future standalone novel with Downton Abby and Gilmore Girls vibes. The protagonist is quite persistent…she keeps yelling in my ear. You can imagine what she’ll be like. What is the most difficult scene for you to write? What is the easiest? As a TV buff and (someday) aspiring screenwriter, crafting dialogue has always been second nature to me. I’m a fan of engaging banter and the subtle nuances of subtext within a conversation. For me, the real challenge lies in setting the scene. This is Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 69

FEATURE AUTHOR where I tend to spend the most time—I’m not one to embellish with flowery prose. How do you come up with names for your characters? I’m kind of obsessed with names. They’re like these little windows into a person’s identity. I usually start by diving into a character’s heritage. Take Mckenna, for example; she’s a blend of Irish and Scottish. “Mckenna” jumped out at me while perusing the umpteenth list of names with origins in either Scottish, Irish, or both (which is the case for Mckenna). Then, I delved deeper to discover the name’s meaning). In Mckenna’s case, it means several things I found suited the character eerily perfectly, such as “stemming from the Old Irish word éirghe, which means “to arise, soar, and ascend,” as well as “born of fire.” So, in response to your question, you could say I tumble down the name research rabbit hole. Do you read reviews? What do you take away from them? I’m aware that my story may not appeal to every reader. It’s probably really offbeat compared to what’s out there! In order to preserve my peace of mind, I don’t regularly read reviews. Occasionally, I rely on my very patient mother (a huge thanks to her!) to share some of the positive feedback and gather any valuable suggestions from the less favourable reviews. I’ve been fortunate to receive a positive response thus far, which to me, indicates that my readers share a passion for mysticism and 70 | UncagedBooks.com

K.T. ANGLEHART folklore—and remain young at heart. I’ve certainly learned a few things from the negative feedback I received when The Wise One was first released. Some of those criticisms I agreed with, and I addressed and updated them in newer versions. As for any criticism I don’t agree with, it generally helps me realize who my book is intended for. For instance, some devoted young adult readers expected it to be in the upper YA category because that’s what’s commonly available, but I’d say that an advanced twelve-year-old would enjoy this series just as much as a thirty-year-old. What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most? I love interior design and décor, most of all when it involves transforming a modest, outdated space into something unique and charming. Being resourceful, making the most of what’s available, and diving into refurbishing projects genuinely makes me giddy. When we moved into our new (very old) home, it was clear that some serious updates were in order, and I had a blast unleashing my creativity to make it happen. Which comes first, the plot or the characters in the planning stages? When an idea sparks, it’s the characters. I see and hear them very clearly. I even cast them in my mind—Mckenna is a teen version of Lorde (the singer), for instance! It’s once the main characters start speaking to me that the story begins to unfold. What are some things you like to do to relax when you aren’t writing or working? Walking the dog, cooking way ahead of dinner time, organizing a mess I’ve ignored all week long, and watching perhaps a bit too much TV. Do you prefer ebooks, audiobooks or physical books? Are you reading anything now? Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 71

FEATURE AUTHOR I recently gave audiobooks a try, but I realized that I need more practice with them. It’s challenging for me to listen to another voice narrating the story instead of my own inner voice. And while I know I should be embracing eBooks, that’s also a bit of a challenge for me. However, I might consider putting a Kindle on my holiday wish list and see if I can be convinced by the masses. What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you? The world of The Scottish Scrolls is like my personal escape hatch. I’ve poured in everything I love into this story: breathtaking spots I’ve visited in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland; the idea that magic is embedded in the very fabric of nature; the search for acceptance in oneself; the idea that good and evil isn’t black and white; and, importantly, the idea that love is love—it’s as simple as that. If you’re ready to embark in a story with a magical mix of folklore, history, and a dash of ‘90s vibes all rolled into one, this series is it!

Enjoy an excerpt from The Wise One The Wise One K.T. Anglehart YA Fantasy Mckenna’s never thought much of her nightmares, but on her seventeenth birthday, a vivid dream of burning at the stake awakens her dormant abilities, thrusting her into a world where faeries are real, spirits hold a grudge, and a High Priestess obsessed with a 16th-century prophecy is tracking her every move. Now, her overprotective dads, Seán and Andre, are forced to tell her the truth—they know who her birth mother is, and her life is not the surrogate story she’s always been told. Abigail, Mckenna’s mom, is some sort of mystic, and Mckenna a Wise One. Whatever the hell that means.

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With the help of a persistent little wren and company of a newfound friend, Mckenna journeys to Ireland in search of her mother and real answers. Along the way, she learns to harness her innate magic and trust her intuition, as best she can anyway—Cillian, a kind and passionate delegate who crosses her path, is proving much harder to read.

ktanglehart.com

Only her mother could truly help her halt her ill fate and prepare her for what’s to come…before she gives in to the darkness she knows is buried deep within. Excerpt Bruised and battered, the young woman was dragged through the screaming, unruly mob. Her wrists were

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K.T. ANGLEHART bound behind her by a rope as thick as the noose she now faced. “Buidseach! Buidseach!” Witch. Witch. “Bàsachadh!” Die. She halted in front of the noose, unperturbed, for she knew her death would end swiftly. The man who held the end of her rope looked from her calm expression to the noose, and let out a shrill laugh. “A quick snap of the neck, aye, Bessie girl? You don’t think you’re getting off that easy, do you? Nah, that there isn’t for your kind.” The ugly man, towering and troll-like, hauled her further on like a rag doll, finally leading her to a pit loaded with broken wood fragments, branches, and logs. She was going to be burned alive. In that instant, her body trembled with the fear she had been trying so desperately to conceal. Of dying, no—she knew this life would not be her last, and she was ready to part ways with this physical body. But she would be lying to herself if she said she hadn’t been hoping for a less painful demise. He tightened the rope from her wrists around the wood banister that stood erect in the centre of the pit, then secured more rope round her ankles. “Spill your guts, now or never, buidseach,” he spat.

He lowered his torch to the base of the pit, and the flames caught quickly. She watched them crawl towards her boots, but her eyes were forced shut by the rising smoke. In an instant, beads of sweat leaked like rain on her forehead, and her lungs swelled to twice their size. Just when she hoped she might pass out from the heat, the flames grew larger, now licking the base of her legs. What followed was an acute, unfathomable pain. The flames travelled higher, higher, until they enveloped the lower half of her body— and she could no longer bear the sheer agony of her skin melting away. Abredonia Woods, Massachusetts September 13, 1991 In the dead of night, Mckenna O’Dwyer’s screams forced Seán and Andre up and out of bed. They rushed over to their daughter’s bedroom. “Shhh . . . sh, it’s alright, swan, you’re dreaming,” Seán said as he stroked her hair and cradled her against his chest. “Another nightmare,” said Andre, trying to steady his daughter’s shuddering body. Seán shook her gently. “Mckenna . . . Mckenna, do you hear me? Why isn’t she waking up?” “She seems to be in pain . . . I’ve never seen her like—” She let out one long, anguished cry.

The woman scanned the crowd. Foolish, blind, she thought. They had no idea what would become of their Earth. No, she did not regret her actions. And if she had to burn for them, then so be it. She held her chin up and addressed the spectators. Her voice was steady, knowing. “There will come a day when your fate shall depend upon a witch such as me—and you will beg for mercy.”

“Mckenna!” her dads called out.

The crowd cackled and spat back, simultaneously enraged and amused. But no one laughed louder than the troll-man. “Devil-worshipping hag.”

Andre squeezed her hand. “It’s alright, Mckenna. Oh, geez, you’re drenched . . .” “I—I’m h-h-hot . . .”

Her eyes shot open. She was alive. How? Where was she now? When was she? Who were those nasty people? The clock on her nightstand read 3:04 a.m. Relief swept over her, but only briefly— a lump formed in the back of her throat and rose out of her, making her sob like a colicky baby.

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FEATURE AUTHOR “You’re okay.” Seán rocked her. “It’s your birthday, swan, you know that? It’s your birthday . . .” He said this as though it mattered, as though it would make her forget somehow. As though her skin hadn’t just been crawling with flames. “Happy birthday, Mckenna,” Andre whispered. But all she wanted to do was weep. *** The High Priestess’s arm was growing tired. She’d been dangling her gold chain over the globe for nearly three hours, her faithful stone secured at the end of it, sweeping steadily over every continent, country, city. Carved from an ancient Irish stone, Misgaun Medb, the pendant’s magnetic power could draw in whatever the bearer pleased. Except her. The High Priestess felt Pravadi’s eyes on her. “Won’t you at least let me light the fire?” “No. No fire.” The Priestess wasn’t fond of them. “You’re certain it’s today?” “Yes,” said Pravadi. “When has a vision of mine ever been false?” The minute hand shifted. At 3:04 a.m., the log in the fireplace sparked a solo flame, making the Priestess start. A warning from the salamanders? She shuddered at the thought, and the stone grazed the globe’s surface—only for a second. Then like a magnet, it shot past Canada and affixed onto an eastern region in the United States. “There you are,” the High Priestess said, her mouth twisted in satisfaction. Pravadi lowered her square spectacles on the bridge of her nose. “She’s just come of age,” said Pravadi, keenly. “I knew my vision wasn’t mistaken.” The Priestess didn’t mind her gloating. She leaned back, revelling in the stone’s powers. The fin74 | UncagedBooks.com

est point of the stone was pinned onto a small town in Massachusetts—Abredonia Woods. She had been waiting a long time to locate the girl, known as the Wise One. Too long. “What about Abigail, the girl’s mother?” Pravadi said. “Perhaps now the stone can track her, too, and we can be done with it.” The High Priestess rolled her eyes, wondering how a seer could be so forgetful. “The spell Abigail cast when her child was born protects her from being traced by anyone other than the Wise One. She is our only hope.” “And if the Wise One finds her before the first Scottish Scroll is fulfilled? And once she does, if they both disappear . . .?” Really, she should get a head scan. “My protégé will see to it that the Wise One fulfills the first Scroll before she locates her mother, then will keep them both close ’til I step in. And so shall it be,” she said with longing, imagining the hour the Scottish Scrolls would be fulfilled. “And if there are delays? We have until—” “I ken our deadline,” the High Priestess snapped. “Have faith,” she said mostly to herself as she tied the chain back around her neck

Don’t miss this title:

For the love of the race The phoenixlike evolution of the A Cat Ghost There is an adage that goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” This may well apply to the Ghost, the catboat that was birthed and berthed in Barnegat Bay in New Jersey. This class of boat that is distinct in Barnegat Bay began in 1922. In 1924, it became known as A Cat, racing class of boat. But the Great Depression put a temporary end to it, until it rose to the fore again in 1980, in the hands of David Beaton and Sons. They built Wasp, a new type of A Cat, patterned after the 1923 model. Currently, the Ghost is anchored in its new home in the New Jersey Maritime Museum. But the Ghost was Beaton’s most successful A Cat boat, having won consecutive Bay championships from the year 1994 to 2000. The book From Beaton’s to Beach Haven: A Cat Ghost BHG illustrates the process of excellent craftsmanship of the Ghost depicted in photographs along with the details of the pattern and the preparation of the woodshop. It also tells the reader of the Ghost’s mishap on the racecourse, its rehabilitation, and its triumphant resurgence back to the forefront as well as the longevity of the boat model. The book also tells why the Ghost has become the archetype for exemplary artistry in wooden-boat making.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Author William “Bill” Fortenbaugh is a professor emeritus of classics focusing on Aristotle and his school of thought at Rutgers University. But Bill is also an avid sailor, exposed to sailing as a sport and as leisure at the early age of eight. In his retirement, he has come to focus on the art of boat making, concentrating on the Ghost, its history, its return to action on the racecourse, and its preservation at the New Jersey Maritime Museum.

ANNE & Crew

ALYXANDRA & Zod & Mulder

Sadly, my family recently said goodbye to two of our four-legged family members, Khloe (14, lab belonging to my oldest daughter) and Jackpot (18, mixed rescue pom-pap-poodle, so named because I hit the jackpot when he “rescued me”). Right now, I am “gram” to my oldest daughter’s two rescue dogs: Jobe (mixed lab), Mazzi (mixed terrier), and my youngest daughter’s two rescue dogs: Goose (mixed hound and St. Bernard), and Buddy (mixed Puerto Rican “Satos,” adopted through the Sato Program).

We have two Corgis: Zod and Mulder. This is their band photo. I like to think they play hard rock on medieval lutes just to really confuse people…

ALEXA & Jake

As a family, we support no kill shelters and rescue programs through donations and volunteer time. We encourage everyone wanting a dog or cat to adopt through these shelters. Roughly 6.5 million animals enter shelters each year, but only 3.2 million are adopted. These animals will bring you love and companionship and in truth “rescue” you! If owning a pet doesn’t fit your lifestyle, then support rescue programs through donations and volunteering. 80 | UncagedBooks.com

This is Jake, our sweet grand-dog, who has spent many wonderful times with Mr. Aston and me. He’s 14 now and still acts like a puppy, so excited to go on walks and investigate the great outdoors.

A U T H O RS A N D T H E I R P E TS Pets and companions come in many shapes and sizes. From furry to feathered to hairy and scaley - there is a place for all of them. Authors have a special relationship with their pets - whether they remind them to get up and take a break or they inspire their writing. Meet the critters that share their love and devotion to Uncaged Feature Authors.

This picture was taken after we’d walked about two miles one morning. He was tuckered out but had such a good time.

K.T. & Nessie, Onyx & Stirling

I have three I’d love to show off! Meet Nessie, our mysterious little rescue mutt from Puerto Rico, and her little brothers, Onyx and Stirling.

J.L. & Penny Like many families, we adopted a puppy during the Covid lockdown. I’d forgotten how much work puppies were! But now, three years in, we can’t imagine our lives without her. We decided to name her as a family. When we couldn’t agree, we merged all of our final names into one. My wife and I wanted Pickle, my elevenyear-old wanted Penny, and my nine-year-old wanted Princess. So, in September 2020, we welcomed Princess Penelope Picklesworth (though we usually call her Penny) into our home and never looked back. Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 81

W.L. & Skaha

Food is both her blessing and her curse. I got to keep her because she was so food-distracted, but she eats everything: barnacles and dead crabs, stinky old salmon, apple cores, sandwiches still in the baggie... One day, she pulled a quinoa chocolate cake off the counter and wolfed down three-quarters of it before we could get there. That required a trip to the vet and a shot of morphine. I love her to bits, and she’s my therapy dog. When I’m at the computer too long, she bumps my hands off the keyboard. And when I need a cuddle, she’s there beside me on the couch. Until I stand up, that is, and she thinks I might be going to the frig.

TROY & Lizzy Lou & Tripp

Skaha is my beautiful yellow Labrador retriever. She recently celebrated her sixth birthday, and I’ve had her since she was eight weeks old. Skaha (which is a Shuswap word for dog) started life with the Pacific Assistance Dog Society (PADS), and I was her volunteer puppy-raiser. We worked together for two years, and then she went into advanced training. It’s kind of like college, so she stayed at the kennel during the week and came home to me on weekends. She was doing really well with her cues and learning to work with someone who was deaf. I’d just accepted the fact that I was soon going to have to let her go when the trainer called one January day. “We’re going to release her. We can’t get her to stop scavenging. Would you like to adopt her? You two are such a great team.” When I stopped crying, I went and picked her up, and we began our permanent life together. 82 | UncagedBooks.com

We currently have two great rescue dogs, Lizzy Lou (a yellow Lab) and Tripp. Lizzy Lou is a retired mama rescued from a puppy mill who has, over time, developed a sense of humor, a loving heart, and the desire to serve as our personal alarm clock (which is currently stuck at 4 a.m.). Tripp is our most recent rescue and a fun mix of King Charles Spaniel and Australian Shepherd. Rescued from a rural shelter, his background is a bit of a mystery as he’s always been nervous around people and loud noises and even now is still prone to hide when he gets anxious. Once a dog who cowered and kept his distance, love and time have transformed Tripp into an adventureloving boy and faithful writing companion.

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J.L.

sullivan

. L. Sullivan writes young adult novels inspired by gritty urban environments and the fantastical tales that percolate within abandoned buildings and desolate alleys. He began his writing journey in high school with a local newspaper before venturing into creating writing in college where he found himself lost in contemporary stories with magic summering just underneath the surface. His debut novel about a dark reimagining of an ancient myth won multiple awards following its spring 2022 release and is hard at work on its sequel. He currently lives in St. Louis with his wife, two daughters, and a dog named Princess Penelope Picklesworth. Uncaged welcomes J.L. Sullivan Welcome to Uncaged! Your book From Brick & Darkness is a young adult urban fantasy. Can you tell us more about this book? You mentioned that this book is the first in a series, how many books are planned? Thanks for having me! From Brick & Darkness follows Bax, an average city-dwelling teenager whose life spins out of control when he finds himself entangled in ancient djinn magic and mythology. It’s a dark, modern reimagining of the tale of Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp. Unlike traditional genie stories, however, in my novel the evil djinn pulls Bax’s wishes from the depths of his subconscious and uses whatever means necessary to make those desires real. The demon brings to life the momentary impulses floating in Bax’s mind without regard for repercussions or consequences, no matter how greedy, selfish, or cruel they are. As a result, Bax is forced to confront the consequences of the ideas the djinn ripped from his mind. There are three books planned for this series as Bax and his friends get pulled further and further into what they call the djinn-verse.

What are you working on now that you can tell us about? I’m currently editing the second novel in the series. It takes place two weeks after the events of the first book and Bax finds himself battling djinn all over again—but with a new twist. What is the most difficult scene for you to write? What is the easiest? Love scenes are definitely the most difficult for me to write. I have read romance novels by author friends and have such respect for writers who can pen steamy scenes that make you blush. I can never seem to strike that right balance of being vivid without sounding silly. On the flip side, I love dialogue. Scenes with characters working out problems come naturally to me. They almost write themselves after I’ve spent enough time swimming around in my characters’ minds.

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FEATURE AUTHOR How do you come up with names for your characters?

Do you read reviews? What do you take away from them?

I flip through directories, online and paper. White pages, yellow pages, baby name books, local newspapers, or local listings online. Nothing feels more satisfying than stumbling on a name and thinking, That’s it!

I find reviews to be valuable feedback tools. If this business, you have to be open to feedback—good and bad. I use reviews to learn what people think I’m doing well or should consider doing differently. I don’t take all of the feedback and totally alter my style, but I file it away as something to think about.

Although, I will admit sometimes I pick names that may be an easter egg or a veiled reference. In From Brick & Darkness, Bax frequents a comic book store and has discussions with its owner about superheroes. So while I found the name Baxter in a directory, his last name—Allen—is an easter egg for the Flash’s identity, Barry Allen. And his love interest, Scarlet Lane, is a nod to Lois Lane.

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What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most? I got engaged during a live taping of the David Letterman Show. We were in New York for a friend’s wedding, and I talked with producers ahead of time to see if I could propose on stage during a commercial break. They agreed! Unfortunately, Letterman’s guests

J.L. SULLIVAN went long, so I wasn’t able to. The producers were very apologetic. My then-girlfriend had no idea why I suddenly became irritated after the taping. So not wanting to lose the moment, I dropped to one knee and proposed on the sidewalk outside of the Ed Sullivan Theater. The pedestrians circled around us, clapped, and cheered. A nice New Yorker even took some pictures for us. It was a real-life movie moment.

TikTok (@jlsullivanauthor). However, I must admit two things. First, I’ve been slowing down on Twitter/X. Second, I’m still awkwardly learning TikTok, so if you connect with me there, I’d welcome any tips from you savvy TikTokers.

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Which comes first, the plot or the characters in the planning stages? Plot for sure. Especially with young adult urban fantasy. I create a story concept that may work. One that says something original. Then, I outline a rough one-pager of the plot before setting out to find the right character to complicate that story idea into something even more compelling. What are some things you like to do to relax when you aren’t writing or working? My wife is a chef, so we enjoy trying new restaurants in town and tasting new dishes. I ate my first Afgan dinner a few months ago and it was incredible. Do you prefer ebooks, audiobooks or physical books? Are you reading anything now? I prefer physical books, but do read ebooks every now and then and have found I don’t mind them as much as I used to think I would. I don’t drive much for my current job, but my prior job included a lot of day trips in the car, so I burned through many, many audiobooks during that time! I’m currently reading Fairy Tale by Stephen King. At first, I couldn’t figure out where he was going with the story, but now I can’t put the book down! What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you? I love connecting with fans and readers at events, but I can’t discount the convenience of connecting through social media. I’m on Facebook (@jlsullivanauthor), Twitter (@jls_author), Instagram (@jls_author), and

jlsullivan.net Enjoy an excerpt from From Brick & Darkness From Brick & Darkness J.L. Sullivan YA Urban Fantasy Bax always fantasized something remarkable would happen in his life. So when a decrepit man with glowing purple eyes offers him a ring intended for his estranged father, Bax accepts. The ring speaks to Bax in a dream, tempting him with a vision of a powerful djinn. Desperate to make his fantasies a reality, Bax unleashes a creature called Ifrit, but soon learns this djinn isn’t what the ring led him to believe. Feeding off the depths of his subconscious, the sinister demon fulfills what he thinks Bax wants by manipulating, threatening, and murdering. With everyone he loves in danger and a trail of crimes pointing back at him, Bax must scramble to solve the puzzle that will banish Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 89

FEATURE AUTHOR Ifrit forever. Excerpt Chapter One My phone glowed in the dark. Forty-five minutes past curfew. Our neighborhood wasn’t exactly the safest in the city, so Mom didn’t like it when I walked home by myself after nine p.m. Especially when she worked late. But I was so close to passing level forty in Archer Annihilation, I couldn’t have torn myself away any earlier without being a horrible friend to Jason. Besides, I deserved the time to zone out after another mandatory hour with the school counselor, even though I hadn’t had one of my “episodes”— as Mom called them—in over a year. Still a block away from my building, I stopped abruptly. What the hell? I squinted to see through the fog crawling near the ground. A man, probably homeless, sat on my apartment’s concrete stoop like he’d set up camp right in front of the entrance. That’s bold. In some buildings, the doorman would have removed him, but we didn’t have a doorman. Instead, we had an entrance with a lock that didn’t work half of the time. I started forward with cautious steps, straining to make out the details of my building’s stillshadowy visitor. Maybe he wasn’t homeless. I had always fantasized something big would happen to me, like in a comic book. Something life-changing like developing a superpower, inheriting an island nation, or finding out I came from another planet. But I never envisioned my Something Big might arrive by way of a creepy homeless-looking dude. Closer to my building, his image sharpened as 90 | UncagedBooks.com

the streetlights radiated off his silhouette like a faded halo. Wispy tufts of white hair sprouted out of his head and glowed under the smog-filtered light. His clothes were pretty clean for being homeless but sloppy like he’d recently lost weight. And I couldn’t put my finger on something odd about the color of his coat. As I stepped up to the entrance, it hit me. The reddishbrown of the coat matched the brick of my building— exactly. Frayed threads of the cloth even gave it a textured appearance as if the man materialized out of the brick itself. He stared straight ahead, studying the closed thrift store across the street. I did a double take, but Sally’s Second Hand remained dark and empty. His concentrated focus made him oblivious to my approach, which thankfully allowed me to avoid eye contact. I slipped by him and up the cement stairs. Of course, the lock on my building’s front door chose that moment to work, denying me a quick escape. As I fumbled with my key to unlock it, the man’s voice rasped, “Can you help me?” Ugh. I ignored him. He just wanted money. So much for my Something Big. “Please?” His pained voice groaned. Against my better judgment, I glanced over my shoulder. Neck bones popped as his head rotated toward me, his face eclipsing the rays of the streetlight. His irises were dull purple, glazed over with a foggy film, and deep-set wrinkles radiated from the corners of his eyes like arrows drawing attention to them. A shudder caused the keys to slip from my hand and clank on the ground. My face burned with shame that the poor man’s appearance had startled me. My rudeness would have disappointed Mom. “I’m sorry, but really—” I snagged my keys. His hand slithered out of the brick-colored sleeve as his arm rose, trembling as he strained to hold the weight of his own limb. Gloved in loose, veiny skin, his skeleton hand had yellowed fingernails so overgrown they grew in on themselves like curly birthday ribbons. As his fingers unfurled, he revealed a ring nestled in his palm.

J.L. SULLIVAN It was large. Too large. The ring resembled the toy jewelry Jason’s sister played with or something from a Halloween costume. Grimy gold with a single dull purplish jewel that matched his eyes. His hand trembled under the heaviness of the ring. “Take it.” Shifting my backpack to my other shoulder, I took it. “What is this?” The corners of his thin lips curled into a grin as a gust of warm, dry wind cut through the chilly October night and swirled around me. Leaves and litter scooted along the street and in the gutters. I just accepted a gift from some creeper outside of my building. Something every little kid knew better than to do. Who knows where that ring came from? But before I could return it, his hand smoothly retracted into his sleeve and his arm lowered. “Greg Allen.” The ambient rumble of cars on surrounding streets muffled his voice. “The ring is for him.” The blood drained from my head, like during one of my episodes, and the ring grew as heavy as it had appeared in the old man’s palm. “Greg Allen?” He nodded, neck bones creaking and popping. “That’s my dad.” “Ahhhhh.” He exhaled. “Superb. Then you will give it to him? It is a gift. He showed me kindness years ago. My time in this world is expiring.” If Greg actually knew this guy, the ring made a bizarre thank you gift. “Why are you looking for Greg here?” He closed his eyes as he spoke. “I searched for Allens in this neighborhood and located this building. You happened to be the first person to answer my plea.” I swallowed, vowing no more conversations with homeless guys. Served me right. Though the odds of him asking me about Greg were one in a million. Or at least one in however many people lived in my building. “I’m sorry, but he’s not here. Greg’s never lived here.” “But you said—” “Yeah, he’s my dad, but he doesn’t live here. Do I

need to explain every detail?” My voice got louder. I didn’t owe this weirdo an explanation. “Ahhhhhh.” He exhaled again, deflating. “Then it is yours. Time will not afford me the luxury to continue my search.” A woman in a long black coat glanced from the old man to me as she hurried down the sidewalk but quickly averted her eyes when I noticed. Probably thankful she’d avoided the old man herself. But if he had roped her in, she wouldn’t have known Greg Allen. What would he have done then? “I don’t think I want it.” I extended my hand— and the ring—back to him, holding it between my thumb and forefinger. While I’d always wanted to learn more about Greg, for some reason, the ring didn’t seem like the way to do it. Something about the old man felt off. “Please.” His sad gaze bored into me. “You can sell it. It is valuable.” A vivid image of moving out of our apartment and into a nicer one flashed through my mind. An apartment with a pool and home theater. One with a doorman who kept away homeless dudes. In a neighborhood where Mom didn’t worry about me walking home alone. I pulled the phone out of my pocket—9:55. No time to keep arguing with him. I needed to get inside before she got home. “Um, okay. Thank you. I have to go.” He nodded. “Your father was a kind and noble man.” He closed his purple eyes in reverence as if conjuring up fond memories of Greg. When his eyes didn’t open again, it left me, like an idiot, staring at an old man who may have fallen asleep sitting up. “Thanks for this, I guess.” Dropping the ring into my pocket, I hurried to unlock the door to my building and shouldered it open. I didn’t look back at the old man, not wanting to risk him talking to me again.

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T.M.

smith

fter retiring from my career in education, I settled in to write something more creative than lesson plans on split infinitives and inner-school memos on noise in the hallway.

Vampires, demons, ylves, mages, and other magical beings keep me awake at night with their tales of love and adventure. Taking great interest in their lives, I began a paranormal romance series of five books with alpha males who aren’t always nice and females who have no problem keeping them in line. The Firebrand is the first book in the Blood Coven Series. Here are more orts, scraps, and fragments from my life. (Thank you, Virginia Wolf and Shakespeare.) I moved from sunny Las Vegas to the less-than-sunny Pacific Northwest. Here I have adventures with my daughter, sonin-law, and two granddaughters who also moved to the area. I also enjoy my membership at Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network (BARN), a local organization that supports the arts and offers classes and events in eleven different studios. It was at BARN where my critique group began. With equal time given to in-depth comments on each other’s works, snarky remarks, and laughter, we have now been together nearly seven years. Uncaged Welcomes T.M. Smith Welcome to Uncaged! Your latest book is the fourth book in The Blood Coven series, called The Vampire’s Thirst. Can you tell readers more about this series? How many are you planning to write for the series? The Blood Coven Series, when finished, will include five major paranormal romances, each one featured in its own book. The Firebrand (Rein and Braelyn), The Demon’s Fire (Kole and Skyler), The Satyr’s Guilt (Ram and Denim), The Vampire’s Thirst (Dax and Chiara), and The Phoenix (Roark and Indigo). Also, included are special perks, or subplots--romances starring some pretty amazing minor characters. (Reviewers have said they love these extra love stories.) But what sets this series apart is the epic backdrop--the thread which runs through all books. A

winged immortal, learning of the frivolous actions of his fellow immortals, devises a plan to change destiny. The stakes? The survival of two species. Overall, the series is about plenty of hot romance, adventure, immortals who could destroy mankind, and an invisible hand that tries to control the outcome. What are you working on now that you can tell us about? I am currently pulling out my hair by working on two projects at the same time. One is a four-novella series, which is set in the Blood Coven World. Some very unexpected minor characters from the Blood Coven Series will have their own romances to tell. Second, is a series of novels about the winged assassins of the OneCreator who were mentioned in Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 97

FEATURE AUTHOR the Blood Coven Series. When I fell in love with them, I ran a scenario of “what-ifs” and decided their stories would be fascinating. What is the most difficult scene for you to write? What is the easiest? Let’s begin with the easiest. I speed-write through the set-up chapters of a book. They are so clear in my head. The middle chapters are my nemesis. They are a labor, a lot of forcing myself to sit in my chair and write. I also find they are the most difficult to edit. I seem to change my mind about this or that constantly. Read, edit, re-write. Over and over. Think of writing a novel as a party. The planning and set-up are fun. Devise a menu. Buy flowers for the table. Arrange the good china and silverware. Cook. Though when the guests arrive things may get a bit hectic—entertaining them and seeing to it that everything moves along smoothly—all is still fun. But, once the door has closed on the last guest, it’s clean-up time. Yuck. How do you come up with names for your characters? Some names I come up with on my own. Once I “see” a character in my mind, a name may pop into my head—Rein and Kole are examples. In other cases, I Google baby names or names that have a certain meaning. When I do that, I read through the list. When I stop and roll a name around on my tongue, I know if it’s perfect. Do you read reviews? What do you take away from them? I do read reviews. I am most interested to see if what the reviewer noted as my intention is what I intended. In the cases where the reviewer sees something different, I think about their comments—does their vision interfere with the meaning I had intended? If not, no problem. If it does, I examine what I could have done better. I am happy to say that most of my reviewers saw what I intended—steamy romance between interesting characters, a bit of humor, and a lot of danger. Great and not-so-great reviews are helpful. 98 | UncagedBooks.com

T.M. SMITH Of course, there are reviews where it is clear the reviewer may simply not like the genre. I think, as an author, I must be cognizant of that also. What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most? Two tidbits: 1. I did not begin the Blood Coven Series until I retired from a career in education. 2. I never read paranormal romances until a friend of mine, only about twelve years ago, recommended I watch True Blood on TV. I was hooked. Then, I began imagining the Blood Coven World and the Firebrands. The series was born. Which comes first, the plot or the characters in the planning stages? For me, it is always the characters who come first in the planning stages. I close my eyes and picture them clearly. (Don’t worry. They’re fully clothed.) Later, I often Google to find pictures that support my vision of them. After the characters are formed in my mind, I ask myself how they would react if they met each other. Would it be love at first sight? Would they fight the attraction? (I admit to being drawn to characters who fight their attraction.) Next, I listen to their dialog in my head. (That may sound like early-onset schizophrenia. It’s not.) Then, I fill out the premise. What are they like? What happens to bring them together? What exterior forces are they up against? What are some things you like to do to relax when you aren’t writing or working? I belong to an artisan group here called Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network (BARN). I am not only a member of the Writers’ Studio but am also active with the Jewelry and Glass Studios. I love making jewelry—mostly silver with stone/gem settings. I also relax by reading, hiking, dining out, movies, and traveling with hubby. Having my family nearby is excellent also. Do you prefer ebooks, audiobooks or physical books? Are you reading anything now? Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 99

FEATURE AUTHOR While I enjoy physical books, I grew tired of giving them away—finding a good home for each book. It was stressful because I had so many. So now, I prefer ebooks. After years and years of reading only paranormal romance, I have recently returned to crime stories. I finished Robert Parker’s Spenser novels (love the dialog) and am currently gobbling up Sandford’s Davenport series (love the complicated plots). I have to admit though that when I am reading these books, I am always thinking, “How would this work out in a paranormal world?” What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you? I love having readers who are fans. It’s a remarkable experience. They have no idea, I believe, how much their support means to a writer. You spend a year and a half writing a book and a simple “I love it” means the world to you. And you get excited when a new person follows you on Instagram. So, thank you so much for reading the Blood Coven Series, fans. I hope you enjoyed the books as much as I enjoyed writing them. I hope they take you away from the anxieties and complications of life today and carry you off to a fantasy world where, though troubles exist, they are solved by the end of a book. If only life were so simple.

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Enjoy an excerpt from The Firebrand The Firebrand T.M. Smith Paranormal Romance Rein, a Vampire mixed breed, plunged into the abyss of bludfrenzy. With icy resolve, he crawled out to become a Firebrand. He doesn’t make rash decisions. Until… Braelyn takes a shortcut through an alley musing about what she can’t have. A new job. Adventure. A cancer-free brain. Instead, she writes for a paranormal tabloid. No, she doesn’t believe such nonsense, but she’s heading to Cleveland on assignment. Oh, and her tumor is back. Then… Rein kidnaps her and takes her to his realm, igniting a fiery romance. Meanwhile… An ancient threat hunts for descendants of the Blood Coven who divided the world into three realms fifteen hundred years to protect humans from savage Aeternals. And… Braelyn is squarely in the hunter’s sights. Rein is her best chance to survive. Excerpt Excerpt from Chapter Three

tmsmith.net

Slung over a thick shoulder, with a gentle hand moving up and down her legs, Braelyn lowered her lids to shut out the blinding, whirling light. Pop. Pop. Pop. As her stomach did a one-eighty, she upchucked most of the Frozen Monkey drink. When the world stopped

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T.M. SMITH spinning, she heard an unfamiliar voice. Higher pitched. Younger. “What the hell, Rein. That’s a human. A female.” “I know, dumbass. I had no choice. She saw Malok in an alley. I tried a mindwipe. It didn’t work.” Braelyn still clasped the coffee cup and cellphone. She lifted her head to have a look-see. Then her kidnapper trailed his hands up to her ass, squeezed lightly, and flipped her onto her feet. He stepped a few paces back while scrubbing a hand across his jaw. “I gotta fix this.” Braelyn spread her legs to steady herself, shooting her eyes from familiar man to new man. Left. Right. Again. Her gaze dropped to her coffee cup. Empty. She tossed it. Surely today was an exception to the no-littering rule. She shifted her phone to her ear, whispering, “Dad, Dad? Are you there?” “It won’t work,” the kidnapper snarled, grabbing the lifeline out of her hand and jamming it into a pocket. Braelyn nodded. While the two men chatted, she eyed the surroundings. Trees. Bushes. Giant ferns. Not Post Alley. How the hell did I get here and where is here? The deadly but sexy guy kissed me and put me in a fireman’s hold. A blinding light, popping sounds, stomachtwisting nausea. I did not pass out. This doesn’t seem to be a hallucination. Braelyn chewed on her lower lip while screwing up the courage to speak. Go for it. “When someone has just drunk a twenty-ounce coffee, don’t throw them over your shoulder. Check your pants for barf. Your fault, by the way.” Her brows knit together in a confusionanger combo. Her attacker twisted to glance at the back of his tacticals. He glared at Braelyn but then ignored her to continue talking to the other man. New guy was buff and hard, also a soldier. A wide red cloth banded his head, securing long, dark hair

that hung beyond his broad sculpted shoulders. Wearing a sleeveless black leather vest along with low-slung jeans, he clutched something that looked like a crossbow in his fist. His stormy gray eyes were deep-set, the hint of a beard making his coppery-skinned face more manly, less boyish. He reminded Braelyn of a photo she had once seen of an Apache warrior standing beside a horse in the Southwestern desert. On his bare arm was the tat of a colorful feathered bird, its beak opened in a silent screech, deadly talons curled. Its wings wrapped around his bicep. Though she had caught only a partial view of Rein’s mark, the two could be alike. Maybe they’re both in the same military unit or homegrown terrorist cell. Enough. Braelyn wanted answers. She jutted one leg out in front of the other, crossing arms under her breasts. Battling cancer had taught her hard lessons. A good offense beat any defense. So, she donned a stony expression, chin thrust upward. “Hey! Tall, Dark, Demented.” She beckoned her kidnapper closer with a crooked finger. The men stopped talking. New guy’s mouth quirked. “I think she means you.” “Your name is Rein?” she asked. He sighed, did a lazy blink, his chest expanding with a deep breath. But he did not move one inch nearer. “What the hell is going on, Rein? No bullshit. I can smell bullshit a mile away. I’ve been manhandled, molested, and snatched.” “Molested? Did Malok get to her?” Rein’s partner, his lips drawn tight, pointed toward the hairy thing from the alley. Following new guy’s gaze, for the first time Braelyn Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 101

FEATURE AUTHOR noticed the creature. He was statue still, arms restrained by an invisible lasso and trussed like a holiday turkey. His mouth was open wide as if he were screaming, too, but she couldn’t hear a sound. Braelyn gave a dismissive wave. “No. Not that thing. Him.” She pointed at Rein. Her tongue flicked across her deliciously bruised, swollen lips. “My man, what up?” New guy raised a hand to high-five his friend, lowering it when a scowling Rein did not return the gesture. “You don’t get into these crazy situations. You’re creeping up on my territory now.” “F**k off. She screamed for help. I shut her up.” “How?” asked the new guy.

man. But you lost control of the situation.” A raucous laugh burst from deep within his chest. “Control is a fickle b***h,” said Braelyn. “Nobody really has any.” Moms die in car accidents. People get cancer. Crazy strangers kidnap you. Nope. Nobody controls anything. “Rein has lots. Usually, he’s locked down tighter than a virgin’s knees.” Her kidnapper threw up a middle finger, clenched his lips together, and ground his teeth. Braelyn snapped her fingers. “Hey, kick and sidekick! Though this shit is entertaining, I’m not getting answers. Like what’s that?” She turned toward the hairy, still naked creature who could be a demon straight from the pages of Strange but True.

Fisting her hips, Braelyn said, “He kissed me.” “First things first. The name’s Chay. Tall, Dark, Demented you’ve met. You are?” He stepped forward, offering an outstretched hand, his eyes popping between Braelyn and Rein, amusement tugging at his lips.

Chay stopped laughing and straightened his back. “He’s a Kalli. He escaped. Big no-no. The job was to catch the wilding. Oops. Twisted cock-up, if you get the drift.”

“Braelyn.” When Chay clutched her fingers a little longer than necessary, Rein speared him with an icy glare. She held out a palm toward her kidnapper, but when he didn’t take it, she wiped the palm on her sweats.

“Aeternal from Scath. I’m ylven.”

Chay arched his brows, focusing on Rein. “Back to the shut-her-up kiss. A muting spell works well, man.” His thick-lashed eyes focused on Braelyn. “He can do that.” “Ylve, I’m in no mood. I didn’t have time to think of it.” “How many secs does it take? Scream. Mute. Let’s review this. First you can’t erase her memory. Then you forget a muting spell. Something else, too. What was it? Oh, yeah. You molested the human. Not your day, Rein. I look up to you, 102 | UncagedBooks.com

“Uh-huh. What are you?”

Her gaze fixed on both guys, Braelyn drew a deep breath through her nose and blew it out her mouth. “Let’s pretend I believe you. You’re an ylve. The fuzzy creature is a Kalli. Big guy is what? Other than a kidnapper.” “Oh, this is going to be good.” Chay rolled his eyes. “He is one-of-a-kind. A wampirus.” The ylve chuckled, shifting from one foot to the other. “Shut up, Chay,” snarled Rein. “No offense, man. I love mixlings. What do you call you?” “I don’t call myself anything.” “You don’t have to snap at me.” He explained to

T.M. SMITH Braelyn, “He’s vampire, warlock, and incubus. Very mixed up. As I said, ‘wampirus.’” Another guttural laugh exploded from her kidnapper’s friend. Braelyn watched Rein’s lips curl, exposing sharp, white fangs, while his gaze turned flinty blue. A growl rolled out of his mouth, and like water through a mud dam, he blew.

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Balancing the Demands of Creativity and Reality Guest column by Zachary Hagen

Guest Column

Balancing the Demands of Creativity and Reality by Zachary Hagen

It isn’t easy being a writer, a teacher, finishing a master’s degree in education, and trying to be healthy all at once. Life, in short, is exhausting. Now, not everyone has a similar load, but everyone seems to always be busy to the point of bursting. That’s where I think we have to find a better mental balance. The truth is that nothing in life will ever be in full and equal balance. A happiness expert, Kim Strobel, gave a speech at a convention I went to this summer. She said that life isn’t about balance but

about having more good days in the important areas in your life than bad ones. She also suggested throwing out the idea of a work-life balance because it is so incredibly difficult to achieve that virtually no one had ever achieved it before, and she’s right. Everyone’s first response when asked how they are or how their week has been is either “fine” or “busy,” and we all know that “fine” is just polite conversation. No one ever responds with “I feel rested and ready to tackle the day!” As a writer, I can often sit down at my computer, write two sentences, and feel incapable of going on. So what are the secrets or the habits to having more good days than bad? I think it boils down to a few simple (to say) things and a whole lot of hard work changing behavior to have those good days. The first thing is to prioritize yourself on the 106 | UncagedBooks.com

health and relationship fronts. Sleep, eat good food, and spend time with your important people. Each of my books has been dedicated to an important person or persons in my life. My first book was dedicated to my wife, my prequel short story to my m o t h e r, o t h e r books to my brother and future children. Family is important to me, so I make time for them. I sleep, and I’m really trying to eat better. Good days start with treating your body like a machine that needs fuel and proper input to remain productive without breaking down. You need time with people, rest, and good food. The second thing I have found is to make a list of things that must get done and things that would be nice to have done if possible. At work, at home, and at the writing desk, some things are strictly necessary. I must teach every class and grade quizzes and tests. I must cook or my family will go bankrupt eating out. I must plot the major points of my novel if I have a hope of finishing it. These are all necessary things. However, some things are only nice to have done. I would like it if my lesson plans were pristine and easily understood by other people. I would like it if the floor was always perfectly clean and there were no chew toys from the dogs around when they weren’t chewing them. I would like if every scene was meticulously planned out in my book before I started writing it. The difference between “must” and “would like” is very simple. A must is a need, and all other things are wants. Sometimes, I get to the wants on my to-do list, and sometimes I don’t. What I always do, however, is meet the musts. I meet the needs, and that means that I don’t lack any necessary component at school or at home or in my writing. As I finish my master’s in education this

December, I think I’ll have time for more of my wants, but if the past couple years have taught me anything it’s that not everything is as important as we make it out to be. I think one of the biggest takeaways that this has is the impact on my stories. Life is so busy, and while I have a lot of admiration for authors like JRR Tolkien, I do think some of the details he included in his Lord of the Rings books was unnecessary to the plot. The fact of the matter is that I could attempt the level of detail he achieved, and I’d probably be successful. However, it wouldn’t help me tell the story any better, and it would probably slow down my release schedule, add more work to the editing process, and more. The point is, perfection is a worthy goal, but so is good enough. I love my books. I’d love to go into more of the lore and interesting detail about the world of Lux Terra and Nox Terra, but my goal is telling a good story and meeting the needs of the plot. I don’t get all my would-like-to’s, even in my own book, but that’s ok. I am learning to strive for good enough in all areas of my life, and its freeing to say the least. Actually, in terms of my story, I think that it actually comes out…perfect. ©Copyright 2023 Zachary Hagen for Uncaged Book Reviews www.uncagedbooks.com Published with Permission

Zachary Hagen is a Minnesota based fantasy author and editor. He lives there with his wife, Claudia, and their dog, Flynn. When he isn’t busy writing his next book or working with an editing client, you can often find him walking around his neighborhood or hiking. From a young age he was enthralled with the world of story. From the stories his parents read to him from his blue bedtime story books (if you know, you know) to the first two series that he read, The Chronicles of Narnia and A Series of Unfortunate Events, Zachary’s tastes continued to develop throughout his years of reading. The influences for his first series, The Eternal Chronicles, include Christopher Paolini, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and others.

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feature authors

fantasy | mystery | adventure

W.L. Hawkin

Luke Swanson

Troy Hollan

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W.L.

hawkin

. L. Hawkin writes the kind of books she loves to read from her home in the Pacific Northwest. Because she’s a genre-blender, you might find crime, mystery, romance, suspense, fantasy, adventure, and even time travel interwoven in her stories.

If you like “myth, magic, and mayhem,” her Hollystone Mysteries feature a coven of West Coast witches who solve murders using ritual magic and a little help from the gods. The books—To Charm a Killer, To Sleep with Stones, To Render a Raven, To Kill a King, and To Dance with Destiny—follow Estrada, a free-spirited, bisexual magician and coven high priest, as he endeavors to save his family and friends while sorting through his own personal issues. A seeker and mystic, Wendy is fascinated by language, spirituality, and myth. As an intuitive writer, Wendy captures on the page what she sees and hears and allows her muses to guide her through the creative process. She needs to feel the energy of the land, so although she’s an introvert, in each book her characters go on a journey where she’s traveled herself. In her upcoming book, Writing With Your Muse: a Guide to Creative Inspiration, she explains her writing process and offers techniques and strategies to help writers get their words on the page. If you don’t find her at Blue Haven Press, she’s out walking the forests and beaches of Vancouver Island with her beautiful yellow dog.

Uncaged welcomes W.L. Hawkin Welcome to Uncaged! Your newest book is To Dance with Destiny, book five in the Hollystone Mysteries series. Can you tell readers more about this book and the series? Do these books need to be read in order? Thank you for the opportunity to appear here in Uncaged. I’ve been writing the Hollystone Mysteries series for several years. It’s actually more of a serial, as it follows the adventures of a free-spirited magician who’s dedicated to his role as High Priest of Hollystone Coven. Estrada tends to travel frequently in his quest to save his family and friends from calamities and mur-

derous situations, so the stories are set in various places: Ireland, Scotland, Vancouver, and the Pacific Northwest Coast. He even time travels back to Iron Age Ireland in To Kill a King. The coven practices Wicca, uses ritual magic, and calls on the gods for assistance. Each book features a self-contained mystery or thriller, so they can be read as stand-alones; in fact, some people have read them in reverse order. But each book also chronicles Estrada’s emotional growth (and sometimes lack of it) as he deals with personal issues through relationships. The books are LGBTQ+ mysteries and thrillers and are intended for older teens and adults. Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 115

FEATURE AUTHOR

To Dance with Destiny begins exactly where To Kill a King (book 4) ends, with Estrada, Sorcha, and Conall stranded in modern Ireland. They’ve just ridden through a wormhole from Iron Age Ireland and have nothing but each other and the horses they rode in on. One thing has changed. The Ancient Horned God, Cernunnos, has brought them back prior to the events in To Render a Raven (book 3), which means Estrada has foreknowledge. He’s determined to thwart his daughter’s abduction by vampires and save his lover, Michael Stryker, from death. But Destiny is a wicked dancer, and chaos ensues. Because I allow Estrada to speak through me as my muse and I never cajole or reprimand him, when I’m writing, I have no idea where he will lead me. Let me just say that finally, in this book, he may have found true love, and I’m thrilled for him. Each book cover features a hand-drawn tattoo worn by one of the characters that is meaningful to the story. I didn’t know until the very end who would get the tattoo in this book, what it would look like, and what it would mean. You also have a romantic suspense novel out called Lure: Jesse & Hawk. Can you tell us more about this book? Lure is a very different book from my Hollystone Series; in fact, I wrote the bones of it thirty years ago when I was leaving my marriage and starting my degree in Indigenous studies. In some ways, it’s a romance featuring Jesse, a nature photographer, and Jed, a depressed doctor who identifies with the name Hawk. They’re both living alone on a Chippewa reservation in Minnesota, trying to heal from past relationships. When Jesse hears that the old Anishinaabe man who raised Jed is dying, she goes off alone on horseback to tell him the news. Just before she leaves, she discovers the twenty-yearold bones of a missing Indigenous girl in her shed. Ruby Little Bear’s story winds through the story and ties into Jesse’s adventure. I met a lovely woman in the dog park the other day who recognized me because of my dog, Skaha. (Isn’t that always the way?) Anyway, she said, she’d just finished reading Lure and loved it. She 116 | UncagedBooks.com

read it in two days, and when it ended, she wanted more. I suppose I’ll have to write a sequel. Besides, I love the gritty little town of Lure River and its eccentric cast of characters. I’m proud of Lure, as it won several awards: a National Indie Excellence Award; a Gold Reader’s Choice award from Connections E-magazine; and a Crowned Heart Review from InD’tale Magazine. It was also a finalist in the UK Wishing Shelf Book Awards. What are you working on now that you can tell us about? I have several projects on the go right now. The first is a nonfiction book about my intuitive writing process, which I started in 2019 when I was studying mediumship for an upcoming novel. Writing With Your Muse: A Guide to Creative Inspiration is almost finished. I’ve sent it to a few authors who are enjoying it, so I’m hoping to tweak it and launch it in spring 2024. It’s 250 pages and something of a memoir of my spiritual and writing lives, bolstered by writing techniques, strategies, and examples. I initially workshopped it with a group of women and have just kept adding to it.

In 2013–2014, I worked as a relief lighthouse keeper on the B.C. coast, and my experiences inspired a novel. Retribution (working title) is about a young woman who was forced to leave her lighthouse home after her mom jumped from the cliffs. Now, she discovers a confession in her father’s flaming sailboat, in which he says, “Your mother didn’t jump. I pushed her.” He begs Gracelyn to go back to the lighthouse and retrieve her mother’s hidden journal so she’ll understand why he did it. My fictional lighthouse is a composite of several lightstations where I worked; Gracelyn works as a real lighthouse keeper while she’s there, and, oh yes, she talks to ghosts. This is the book I was researching when I went to mediumship;) Finally, I’ve just started writing a historical novel set in 1924 B.C. during the Rumrunner era. Rampage is my winter project, and I hope to launch it next fall. What is the most difficult scene for you to write? What is the easiest? Action scenes are the most difficult for me, especially fight scenes. I’m not terribly physical, so choreographing all those moves while incorporating inner talk and

W.L. HAWKIN

emotion can be a challenge. I always ask my kinesthetic daughter to read it over and see if it makes sense. Dialogue is the easiest because I just listen in on the conversation and write down what I hear and see. Also, I love giving my inner poet free rein when I’m writing description. How do you come up with names for your characters? Ah, I was just thinking about Estrada the other day and where his name originated. It was the last name of one of my ninth-grade English students many years ago. I remember telling him that I was going to name a character after him one day. I just loved the sound of his name. The truth is, I just googled the real Estrada last week and discovered that he’s now a doctor. I was so proud of him, I teared up. Do you read reviews? What do you take away from them?

Yes, I love to read my reviews. I also write detailed reviews of Canadian authors for the Ottawa Review of Books so I know what goes into writing a good review. I love it when the reviewer gets what they’re supposed to get from my writing. Praise is like dark chocolate. I could manage without it, but a nibble now and then is good for the soul. What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most? I fancy myself something of a Druid bard, and yes, Druidry is a real thing. I’ve been studying with the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids for a few years. The bards were the artists, singers, storytellers, and performers of the Druid world. Conall Ceol (pronounced cool and meaning music in Irish) is a Druid bard in books 4 and 5. He’s one of my favourite characters, and I adore writing him. Estrada adores him too. Methinks Conall will soon get his own book. A new arrival from 200 BCE, I enjoyed watching him explore the modern world in To Dance with Destiny and blow everyone away with his velvet voice. Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 117

FEATURE AUTHOR But why do I fancy myself a bard? I’ve always loved to sing and play music. Thirty or forty years ago, I wanted to be a folk or country singer. In 2006, when I was writing To Charm a Killer, I stayed at Boghill Centre in County Clare, Ireland, and learned to play traditional Irish music on my guitar. Every night, a bus took all thirteen of us to a pub, where we set up and played music all night. It was an amazing experience! I sang several ballads there in between sips of Guinness. My friends, who know what an introvert I am, were shocked. But performing is different than speaking up in a conversation. When I wear the cloak of a Druid bard, I’m transported to another time and place.

prefer physical books. I’m a big fan of the library and love mysteries and adventures. However, I just bought a new iPad which I use to read pdfs. As I reviewer, sometimes authors and publishers send me digital books before they’re printed. The iPad works well. Also, when I’m proofing my own manuscript, I use a pdf so I can see exactly how it will look in print.

Which comes first, the plot or the characters in the planning stages?

I would just like to say, “thank you.” Writing is my addiction and I’d do it even if no one read my books. But it’s lovely when someone, like the woman in the dog park, tells me how much she enjoyed my story. It feels like that little puppy cuddle you need at the end of a long day.

As I mentioned, I’m an intuitive writer. I don’t know the plot until I get to the last page. Then, I can plot it on the Hero’s journey. (Check out Chris Vogler’s book, The Writer’s Journey, if you’d like to know more.) My books are all about characters. What do they want and why? Who are their allies and enemies? To what lengths will they go to get what they want? Who will live, and who will die trying? And when they return to their Ordinary World, will it be enough? Or will they want something else that will propel them into the next story? What are some things you like to do to relax when you aren’t writing or working? I live in an area of extreme natural beauty, and I love to explore it. Some of my favourite things are: tiptoeing through the slick reef at low tide looking for sea creatures; wandering along the beach and in the forests with my yellow dog; and gardening in my backyard. I also love to play the piano and sing, dance with my grandson to old Peter Gabriel concerts (we do the choreography) and watch mythic movies. Do you prefer ebooks, audiobooks or physical books? Are you reading anything now? I only read for pleasure before I go to sleep, so I 118 | UncagedBooks.com

Right now, I’m taking a deep dive into Druidry again, so I’ve been reading the print material OBOD sent me and journaling about it. What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you?

The best place to find me is http://bluehavenpress.com. It’s my hub.

Enjoy an excerpt from: To Dance with Destiny To Dance with Destiny W.L. Hawkin YA Fantasy In the captivating sequel of To Kill a King, ancient magic collides with modern trickery as a Wicca high priest embarks on a thrilling journey to defy the boundaries of time and challenge the very fabric of destiny. This gripping urban fantasy novel follows Estrada who, armed with extraordinary powers, ventures into the past hoping to alter Michael Stryker’s future. A maelstrom of unforeseen events unfolds, weaving an intricate web

W.L. HAWKIN of chaos that changes the course of history itself. For in the tapestry of time, even the most well-intentioned actions can have devastating consequences. While attempting to prevent the tragic outcome of To Render a Raven, Estrada struggles with the complexities of love; archaeologist Sorcha O’Hallorhan slips into her own time warp with a woman she once adored; and Conall Ceol, an Iron Age Druid bard, walks into the future to challenge Michael Stryker for Estrada’s attention. Excerpt Estrada awoke, travel-worn and bleary, with the dregs of last night’s beer still simmering in his cells. He laid in the grass with his eyes closed, listening to the drowsy sounds of night—the soft hoot of an owl, the sough of Conall’s breath as he slept beside him and, in the distance, burbling water. When he opened his eyes, constellations flickered like faerie lights etched in indigo glass, and memories of Primrose filled his mind. Her big Elfin eyes and tricksy smile. He’d loved her, and then she was gone. Sacrificed herself for him and joined her ancestors in Faerie. He called out to her in his mind, hoping she might come this once since they were back in Ireland. Then, knowing that rarely worked, he relented and stared up at the waning moon. In her third quarter, she cast a gray haze over the woodland. It must be three or four, the witching hour— which struck him as funny, him being a witch and this being the hour. Better still, it wasn’t quite dawn, which meant there was time to greet the sun on this languid solstice morning. He leaned up on one arm and glanced around. Last night’s revelers had left the village green, though the tables, barbecues, and wooden stage still stood silhouetted against the somber sky. Perhaps the people would return to watch the sunrise. He’d fallen asleep watching Conall perform on the stage. The first band was an Irish traditional group with a bodhrán player, two fiddlers, and a guitarist. Conall had taken his wooden pipes from their worn

leather case and jammed with them. The five pipes of varying lengths were bound, and Conall played the melody by blowing through different mouthpieces. It was more complex than modern-day flutes or recorders with one mouthpiece and finger holes that allowed for varying tones. His ancient pipes were an instant curiosity, and the amazed musicians kept him playing most of the night. The last band had offered him a guitar and, after watching the other guitarist play the first set, Conall had blown them all away. He’d learned to strum and pick in no time at all. Estrada couldn’t wait to get him on stage at Club Pegasus with his mouth edging a mic. The owl hooted again, tugging him from his thoughts, and he searched the trees and hedgerows behind the stage, trying to place it. Finally, he rose and padded across the damp lawn. When he heard it a third time, he glanced up into the branches, only to be startled by twin tangerine eyes that stared back at him, unblinking. He backed off then, not wanting to disturb it, or get morose with thoughts of owls being harbingers of death and it staring at him as if that death could be his own, or worse, someone he loved. After discreetly relieving himself of the evening’s beer, he went in search of something to slake his thirst. The horses huddled under the trees— Conall’s white stallion standing guard over his gray mare, who drowsed with one hoof tucked up. There were no predators here, but how was Capall to know? What must it be like for the horses to have traveled through time? The sights, sounds, and scents had dimmed and changed. Prehistoric Ireland was so much more vibrant, the colors vivid, the woods thrumming with every manner of insect and bird, the waters abundant with trout so unafraid, Sorcha had plucked them out with her hands. As he padded back across the lawn, the burbling water beckoned, and he followed. Stone steps led down into a grotto rimmed by mosses and ferns. Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 119

FEATURE AUTHOR A small plaque revealed that this was one of Ireland’s holy wells dedicated to Saint Brigid. Originally a goddess and later a saint, Brigid was the patron of poets, healing, and smithcraft. Having recently befriended a blacksmith in Iron Age Ireland, Estrada knew why they warranted their own patron saint. Water flowed from a fissure into a rock basin. Reaching out, he cupped his hands and sipped, tasting raw earth and pilgrims’ prayers, the spirits of weary travelers like himself, teeming with dreams, and not much else. Falling to his knees, he bowed his head to the sacred spirit of the holy well, and offered prayers of gratitude, for he’d returned from the past unscathed. Then he asked for blessings. If the gods would gift him as they’d done before, he might just pull off the Herculean quest that lay before him. The sacred water song deepened until his ears rang with its roar. Still, he felt adrift from his limbs, as if enthralled by some somnambulistic spell. His body sank like stone into the earth and tears fell. It seemed he’d been fighting monsters forever, and he knew another battle lay ahead that would take everything he had, and more. He’d fallen into a meditative state praying but flinched when he felt warm hands upon his shoulders. Then Conall’s breath tickled his ear with hope. “Today, we rise. Tomorrow, we triumph.” He leaned back, enjoying the sensation of Conall’s knees pressing into his shoulder blades as the bard’s strong fingers wrung knots from his neck. “The Goddess of the Land is strong here,” Conall said. “I feel her in all her power.” “Yes, this is one of the holy wells dedicated to Brigid. Do you know her?” “Brigid is de Danann, daughter of the Dagda and 120 | UncagedBooks.com

patron of bards. To rise in such a place on Midsummer and drink from her holy well is a blessing and good omen.” He cupped his hands and drank. Conall knelt beside Estrada and the two men stayed silently praying in that holy shrine, surrounded by votive offerings and mementoes of believers come before, until the gray veil of night lifted. Then the bard took a small, stoppered horn from the purse at his belt and filled it with holy water. “Come. Greet the dawn.” He rose and held out a hand to Estrada, who grasped it and climbed from the well, feeling energy surge from the earth through the soles of his bare, leathered feet. “I wish I had my ritual tools,” Estrada lamented. He felt naked, with nothing to raise the power. Every solstice for years had been Hollystone Coven, theater and drama, the playing of the gods, the dancing of the magic. “You have this,” the bard said, and backhanded him across the chest. “The Sun God needs nothing but devotion.” So, Estrada followed the bard, and did as the bard did. After prostrating himself on the dewy ground, he rose slowly with the sun as it crested the horizon. He felt its power coursing through his veins and asked for strength and courage. And then he saw the ravens. He leapt up and stood staring as a chill ratcheted up his thighs. “What is it, brother?” Estrada shook his head to topple the terror. “Ravens. Diego told me they watched me. Stalked me for months.” “These are just scavengers.” Conall bent over, picked up a smooth stone and rolled it between his fingers as

Estrada might play a coin. “But if you need proof, I will bring one down so you can see for yourself.” “No.” Estrada had killed too many ravens and would only destroy those he knew for certain were vampires. “Come then. Leave the ravens to their scavenging. We have work to do.” Estrada followed, wondering what was coming next. Conall walked into the glade where stood an enormous oak tree Estrada had somehow missed during his stupor the night before. It was tall, old, and wizened, its trunk several feet in diameter and perfectly formed like trees he’d only imagined. Conall embraced the trunk with wide arms, touching his forehead and chest to the gray, furrowed bark. For several moments, he stayed that way, head and heart attuned to the tree, and then he turned his face and put an ear to its skin, listening. Magus Dubh had told Estrada that Druids had a special relationship with trees. He remembered the story of Crann Bethadh, the Tree of Life, he’d told Lucy at her first birthday party—a party that hadn’t happened yet. There was something so natural and loving in Conall’s intimacy with the ancient oak, Estrada felt like a voyeur. He turned away and sat on the ground with his head in his hands. Sorcha was right in her threat. Conall was vulnerable and innocent, and he must do nothing to change that—no matter how pleasurable it would be to deepen those kisses. “Come,” Conall said, jolting him from his dreaming. “We must cut the mistletoe.” “Mistletoe?” Estrada repeated. The only mistletoe he knew was a little plastic ball of leaves and white berries people hung over thresholds at Christmas so they could kiss beneath it. They needed no catalyst for their kisses. Conall pointed to the massive balls of blossoming greenery that hung from the gnarly branches of the old oak. “There,” he said.

W.L. HAWKIN “How are you going to cut that?” The tree had to be eighty feet tall, and the balls hung from branches protruding from its thick trunk. “With this,” Conall said, pulling his iron dagger from the sheath he wore on his belt. “Really.” “I cannot refuse,” he said, as if the tree had made a personal request. “But how?” Conall sheathed his knife, then took a run and launched himself at the oak tree. Skittering up the trunk using bare feet and hands, he made it to the first heavy branch and gripped it with his brawny arms. Then he shinnied up the trunk like an acrobat, using the knotted limbs for leverage, until he arrived at one from which hung an orb of mistletoe. Inching across the branch on his belly, he used his arms to pull and toes to push. When it sagged under his weight, the bard laughed. The threat of falling was part of the thrill. He hacked away the stems that bound it to the oak, and the bundle of blossoming vines tumbled from the sky. As Estrada dodged to avoid it, he breathed in its citrusy scent. Many of the blossoms had died, leaving small embryonic berries, not yet the iconic white they would become by winter. “Do you have your dagger?” Conall shouted. “Yes.” Estrada gestured to the knife that hung in its sheath from his belt. “Come, join me.” Estrada stared at the wide trunk of the oak. He’d never tried a stunt like this before. What if he failed? Conall had climbed the thick tree trunk like an elf. But how could he say no? “All right. Here I come.” He took one deep breath Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 121

FEATURE AUTHOR and ran at the tree. Feet scrambling, his hands connected with the first big branch. Clinging with his fingers, he swung his body until he could get one leg up and hook his foot overtop the branch. He hoisted up the rest of him and lay face down with his arms and feet hugging the wood like some pathetic caterpillar. He could hear Conall cackling high above him.

saw visions when she touched metal. Why shouldn’t Conall talk to trees?

“So glad I amuse you.”

“Aye, we’ve cut away the worst of it and she breathes easier.”

“Come up,” the bard said, between snorts. Estrada inched his way back to the trunk, where he was relieved to discover the branches were much closer together, then climbed rather nimbly to where Conall balanced above him. His chest swelled with pride. “Now what?” Conall’s smile turned grim. “The mistletoe has sunk roots into the oak and is feeding from her. We must cut away the roots, as close as we can, without harming the tree.” The two men worked away in silence, hacking through the sinewy roots and tossing down leafy spheres. Estrada recalled some sacred association between Druids and mistletoe. “What do you use the mistletoe for?” “I have no use for it, though we sometimes steeped a bitter tea to use in sacrifice.” Estrada glanced at Conall, confused, but relieved the bard wasn’t envisioning a ritual killing. “If you have no use for it, why are we harvesting it?” “She asked me to save her from this parasite that steals her essence. The task befits this sacred day.” “The oak spoke to you.” When Conall raised his brows, Estrada understood. Dylan could talk to stones, and Sorcha 122 | UncagedBooks.com

“What are you boys up to now?” Sorcha was suddenly standing below them amongst the mistletoe. Estrada glanced down, then felt dizzy, swayed, and focused on Conall. “Is the tree all right now?”

Estrada closed his eyes and in the stillness was sure he could feel the rise and fall of the oak tree’s breath. When he opened them, he saw her aura blooming several feet out and shimmering like a rainbow. “Blessings,” he said, “and thanks to you both.” This was the best solstice morning he could have had an ocean away from Hollystone and his friends. “We brought coffee,” Sorcha shouted. “Coffee?” Conall cocked his head curiously. “We’ll be right there.” Estrada stared down at fifty feet of thick gray trunk and wished he was in his aerial silks rather than about to free fall. “Declan’s gone to get rope from the truck,” Sorcha said. “The last thing we need is for you to break a leg.” Estrada felt his face flush, but caught the proffered rope, swung it over a thick branch, and used it to rappel down the trunk. Conall stood above him chuckling, then dropped the rope to the ground at Estrada’s feet and scampered down as confidently as he’d climbed up.

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Luke

swanson

uke Swanson is a fledging author in the making. He has dabbled in many genres: action thriller, tragicomedy, cozy mystery, and many more! He’s a member of the Oklahoma Writers’ Federation, and he lives with his wife in Oklahoma City.

Uncaged welcomes Luke Swanson Welcome to Uncaged! In December, you have a mystery coming out called Curtains on A Christmas Carol. Can you tell readers more about this book? “Curtains on A Christmas Carol” is a love letter to many things: the Yuletide season and Agatha Christie, to name a couple. More than anything, however, it’s a tribute to community theatre. There’s something special about a group of local average-joes coming together to make magic onstage. “Curtains” takes place in a small-town community theatre as its annual production of “A Christmas Carol” is getting ready to open. On opening night, one of the actors discovers a nefarious plot: Someone is going to murder the actor who plays Scrooge! The mystery unfolds over the course of the night, with actors having to continue their onstage roles even as a murder investigation is going on backstage. Rather than a whodunnit, it’s a whogonnadoit. It’s a ton of fun, with more than a little intrigue. (please include attached photo of Christmas The End here) What are you working on now that you can tell us about? Well, right now, I’m trying my hand at writing my own original King Arthur tale. It’ll take a while to come to

fruition, but I think it’ll be really special when I finally type “the end.” I’m taking quite a few liberties with the original legends, which some die-hard fans may not love…but they’re legends, after all! I’m making a new legend that people may love or hate, but it’ll be something different, for sure. What is the most difficult scene for you to write? What is the easiest? Action scenes are a killer. There are only so many ways you can write “she ran,” “he punched,” she dodged,” and so on. Finding ways to keep the prose dynamic can be difficult. On the other hand, I get a kick out of writing scenes of dialogue. I find it useful to bury characterization and movement into seemingly unnecessary conversations. How do you come up with names for your characters? Really, I just try things out, saying them aloud, until I like the way one sounds. These characters are stuck with their names forever, so I give it a lot of consideration and try many different variations. They need to be natural, yet memorable. Ultimately, trial and error is how I go about it. Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 129

FEATURE AUTHOR

Do you read reviews? What do you take away from them?

reading and watching, you can follow me on Goodreads and Letterboxd!)

You bet your buttons I read reviews. I’m still starting out, so I don’t honestly have too many reviews under my belt. That being said, more than a few of them are negative. I try not to let them discourage me too much—at this point in my career, as long as they’re actually reading my stuff, that’s better than nothing.

Do you prefer ebooks, audiobooks or physical books? Are you reading anything now?

What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most?

I love a good paper book and will always prefer them, though the convenience of ebooks is hard to deny. I also love to stop by Little Free Libraries to see what’s on hand…as well as to drop off signed copies of my books! Right now, I’m reading “Wrong Place Wrong Time” by Gillian McAllister.

My writing desk has a statuette of Goofy dressed as Darth Vader on it. It makes me laugh. Which comes first, the plot or the characters in the planning stages? I’m a plotter. With me, concept comes first: an adventure through Shakespeare’s plays, an earthquake in Los Angeles, a mystery backstage at a community theatre, etc. Of course, the plot is nothing without good characters to carry the reader through it, but without a compelling plot, these characters would just be going to the grocery store. Some authors can pull that off and make it amazing—I’m not one of them!

What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you? Thanks for reading! I know I’m pretty small potatoes, but I’ll always do my best to give you an entertaining story that makes you think a little and feel a lot. You can follow me on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Goodreads, and Letterboxd!

S t ay C onnec t ed

What are some things you like to do to relax when you aren’t writing or working? Is it too cliché to say reading? Well, that’s what I love to do! I’m big into novels and movies. Most of the time, you can catch me reading in my cozy corner or at the local AMC. (To know what I’m 130 | UncagedBooks.com

lukeswansonauthor.com

Enjoy an excerpt from Curtains on A Christmas Carol Curtains on A Christmas Carol Luke Swanson Cozy Mystery Releases Dec. 7 It’s December in Tennant Park, Colorado, and that can only mean one thing: The annual production of “A Christmas Carol” is just around the corner. The cast is abuzz, full of community-theatre veterans and fresh-faced newcomers. All in this small mountain town is merry and bright... Until Teena, one of the actors, makes a chilling discovery on opening night: Someone is going to murder Scrooge-or, rather, the actor playing Scrooge-right on stage, in front of the entire audience. Everyone in the cast is a suspect. Can Teena crack the case, save Scrooge, and figure out whogonnadoit... all while remembering her lines? Excerpt Church bells rang as if announcing Christ’s second coming. Pigeons cooed and flapped their wings in tandem. Carolers of all ages and statures stood along the cobblestoned streets, smiles stretching across their faces as they filled the air with their joyous notes. “We wish you a merry Christmas, and a happy new year! Glad tidings we bring, to you and your kin…” Townsfolk began to emerge from their homes and businesses. They smiled, laughed, and embraced one another. Moment by moment, the city awoke from its chilly slumber. Children ran to and fro, bakers distributed their goods, and lamplighters snuffed out the flaming posts. All the while, more and more pedestrians joined in with the carolers. The song grew louder,

LUKE SWANSON fuller, and bolder. “And a happy new year! Oh bring us some figgy pudding…” It was a festive Christmas morn indeed. A large family rounded the corner and approached the carolers. There was a man and wife, both walking with all the boisterous cheer that the season provided. They beamed at one another, then at their many children. Two daughters walked arm in arm, while a boy ushered along two more younger siblings. In the center of this group was an elderly gentleman, wearing a nightgown. Stringy hair dangled from underneath his sleeping cap, and his wrinkles were deep enough to gather dust. But he walked with the vigor of a schoolboy, and he even carried a child on his shoulder. This boy was small, though his smile could be seen from the other side of town. The family stopped in front of the carolers and basked in the music. The old man dropped a few coins in the singers’ donation dish. And at that moment, snow began to drift from the sky. Large white flakes dotted the pedestrians’ coats and shawls. The children gazed upward in wonder, as did the adults. No one was immune from the magical feeling that only a Christmas snowfall could give. The small boy on the man’s shoulder looked around at his family. It was a truly perfect tableau, a storybook ending. Through his dazzling smile, he said, “God bless us.” The elderly man nodded. He addressed the entire city when he said, “God bless us, every—” SPLAT. “Crap on a cracker!” The old man retched and recoiled suddenly, nearly dropping the little boy. The father and mother rushed to catch him before his small frame hit the ground. The man didn’t notice—he just blustered around and shouted at no one in particular: “Dangshootcrapdarndangit!” The father rolled his eyes. “What, Al? What happened?” “One of the pigeons defecated on me!” The children giggled, which the old man did not take well. The father leaned in to look at the old Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 131

FEATURE AUTHOR

man’s shoulder, and… Sure enough. One of the white globs on the nightgown was not a snowflake. A voice called from outside the scene. “Okay, okay, okay. Let’s reconvene, alright, guys?” Just like that, the quaint Christmas tableau evaporated. Left in its place was a stage full of actors on a homemade set. The businesses and homes were plywood. The cobblestones were painted on. The London cityscape was a backdrop. The snowflakes were torn shreds of plastic that would be swept up at the end of the night and reused tomorrow. And, of course, the merry pedestrians and citizenry were really just cashiers, real estate agents, middle school students, stay-at-home moms, dads roped into this sort of thing, and other local stars-to-be. In short: community theatre actors. Rehearsals for Tennant Park’s thirty-fifth annual production of A Christmas Carol were well underway. Without the momentum of the scene, things started to get chaotic onstage. The actors dropped their roles and started chatting with one another and tugging at their costumes. The “professional bird wranglers”—AKA the few stagehands who had been assigned that position—trotted out from backstage to try to coax the half-dozen-or-so pigeons into their cages. The elementary-aged actors let loose entirely, running around, playing tag, and cackling at the dripping doo-doo on the old man’s gown. Teena Fakhoury watched all this from her place among the ensemble. This sort of entropy happened every time a scene stopped, for any reason. It was like spinning plates on top of long poles— the slightest jolt could cause it all to come crashing down. Often, spinning through any wobbles was the best course of action. “Come on, people!” The play’s director, Simeon Callahan, scampered between the rows of empty seats, headed for the stage. He always watched rehearsals from the back of the theatre, armed with a clipboard and a headlamp so he could take notes in the dark. Most of the cast made fun of his silly headgear. He, of course, did not know that. Corrine Tally, Teena’s best friend, leaned over to

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whisper to her. “Hi-ho, hi-ho, here comes the miner.” She snickered. Teena exhaled sharply through her nose and sort of smiled at Corrine’s joke, hoping it was convincing. She avoided making fun of people whenever possible. As a plus-sized woman with dark skin, she knew how much it hurt. But she also wanted Corrine to feel funny. “Listen up, please!” Simeon had made it to the stage and was waving his arms to get everyone’s attention…to no avail. No one paid him any mind. In fact, they got slightly louder. The cast of the show could be divided into two camps: those who didn’t take it very seriously, and those who took it way too seriously. Those two camps went to war, lobbing grenades of “Shut up!” and “No, you shut up!” at one another. “Ahem!” Simeon literally said the word ‘ahem.’ “Everyone listen, please!” After lots of shushing and cajoling, the stage quieted down person by person. “Ah! Thank you.” Simeon looked around at the actors on the stage. “Now, I know we—” Someone called out, “Could you cut the flashlight? You’re blinding us.” “Huh?” Simeon looked confused, then remembered the light strapped to his forehead. “Ah, yes.” He clicked off the headlamp. “Okay then. We know what happens next, yeah? The scene ends, we do the curtain call, and you all wait in the green room for exactly five minutes. Right? Then you all file into the lobby to take photos with the patrons and sign autographs. Mmkay? And then you can enjoy some of the complimentary hot cocoa. Make sense?” A few actors nodded in affirmation. Simeon sucked on his front teeth as he consulted his clipboard, then he continued. “Now. I think we all know where that last scene went wrong.” “Obviously we know what went wrong,” Percival Jennings, the elderly man playing Scrooge, growled. “Why do we need birds this year? I’ve been in more productions of this show than I can count—thirtyfour!—and we’ve never felt the need for fancy gimmicks like live animals.” Simeon flashed a strained smile. “Like I’ve been em-

LUKE SWANSON phasizing to everyone this year…including you, Percival…this is year thirty-five! A great milestone for our town!” About half of the actors onstage sighed and shuffled their feet. They’d heard this spiel so many times, they could almost recite it. Undeterred or unaware, Simeon speechified on. “When our curtains open at the end of the week, A Christmas Carol will have been performed in this theatre for three-and-a-half consecutive decades. Thirtyfive years! And I am honored to be only the second director to have ever helmed this show. Every day, I wake up and remember how lucky I am to be here, doing this, with you all.” He paused, as if for a swell of applause. No one obliged, except for the preteen girl playing Belinda Cratchit. She clapped and whooped once, likely looking for brownie points with the director more than anything else. “Hey, Simeon,” one of the stagehands called out from behind the backdrop. “Can we start resetting?” “Uhh…” Simeon checked his watch. “Yes, go on ahead.” Immediately, five stagehands in black t-shirts began rearranging the set, getting things back in order. High above the stage, ropes creaked and strained as backdrops were raised. Heavy sandbags acting as counterweights plummeted like fallen stars. Curtains swooped in from the wings, meeting in the middle and hiding the Dickensian scenery…and forcing the cast to hurry to the front of the stage to get out of the way. Clangs, scrapes, clanks, and bangs filled the air. The stagehands clearly wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. As a first-time director, Simeon sought to pull out all the stops for the finale. He wanted the audience to leave on a high note, feeling as though they had witnessed something truly spectacular. Hence the live pigeons, falling snow, and onstage carolers. But with great reward comes great risk. Hence the bird droppings. “Okay. So.” Simeon clicked on his headlamp and consulted his clipboard. He began to half-yell over the noise. “I have just a few teensy-weensy notes.” More sighs and shuffling from half of the group. More

overly-enthusiastic claps from the other. Teena walked out of the green room, slinging her bag over her shoulder. Her face was stiff and kind of itchy from all the stage makeup, but at least she was out of her elaborate robe. While it was pretty comfortable, it took forever to put on and take off, and she was always glad to hang it up in the green room at the end of each rehearsal. Some of the actors took selfies while in their costumes and even wanted to buy them to keep, but Teena was just fine leaving her character on the stage. Since she played the Ghost of Christmas Present, her costume consisted of a crown of holly and a velvet green robe with white trim. She and the other spirits got to wear some interesting costumes, while everyone else was trapped in bonnets, corsets, and impossibly uncomfortable shoes. She had no idea how people stayed sane wearing all those Elizabethan clothes. Or was it Victorian? She could never remember—she taught biology, not history or literature. Corrine was waiting for her in the hallway outside the green room, also in her normal clothes. “Hey. Let’s get out of here before we have to make pointless small talk with Bernie.” “Um. Yeah, definitely.” Again, Teena forced a smile and an airy laugh. She didn’t really mind chatting with Bernie, who was the theatre’s usher/ box office manager/security/sometimes-custodian. He was nice. But she didn’t want to ruffle Corrine’s feathers, so she went along with it. Teena and Corrine exited the theatre’s front door, and they were smacked in the face by Colorado winter. Corrine shoved her hands in her pockets and walked briskly across the parking lot. Teena had to scurry to keep up. “Good grief,” Corrine hissed. “Lemme tell you, tonight, I’m getting some hot apple cider and going into the bath for a few hours.” Teena laughed—genuinely this time. “Sweetie, it’s already ten p.m.” “And? It’s winter break for us too.” A mass exodus was underway as the actors all Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 133

FEATURE AUTHOR moved across the parking lot toward their cars. There went Evelyn Barrie, getting into a minivan that usually carted her brood of children to church on Sunday. The insanely muscular Jimmy Quinn lowered himself into a compact smartcar that looked like it weighed half as much as he did. Various ensemble members and stagehands dispersed, once part of a whole, now scattering back to their real lives. As usual, the two elderly Jennings brothers went to separate vehicles. Teena always found that odd, since it was common knowledge that they lived together. Percival, who played Ebenezer Scrooge, got into a boxy, vintage car that looked extraordinarily expensive. Roy Jennings, the younger of the two, headed for a nondescript sedan. Roy played the ghost of Jacob Marley, so he always left rehearsals with his face painted white with black rings around his eyes. Simeon the director was at the back of the pack, wandering around the parking lot, clicking his key fob again and again. He seemed to have forgotten where he’d parked…which was weird, since only a few cars were left. Finally, a purple sedan beeped and flashed its lights as it unlocked. Simeon scampered through the cold, got in his car, and fired up the engine. It slowly rolled away, down the road, and out of sight. Teena and Corrine passed a cluster of younger actors who were waiting for their parents to pick them up. The kids had found a patch of ice on the concrete, and a few were taking turns sliding across. More than a few phones recorded the action. One of the younger teens caught sight of the two women: It was Andy Nguyen, who played a Cratchit boy. He swept his arm over his head in a big wave. “See you tomorrow, Miss F!” The rest of the kids turned and, seeing Teena, called goodbye to her. This was enough of a distraction for an ice-surfing guy to slip and land on his keister. A fall like that would’ve put Teena out of commission until opening night, but he just laughed it off. Teena chuckled and waved back at the kids. Corrine muttered, “I’m here too. No love for the 134 | UncagedBooks.com

gym teacher, I guess.” “Wanna get breakfast for lunch tomorrow?” Teena tried to steer Corrine back to a conversation that would put her in a good mood. “Ooh, sounds nice. We could do the twenty-four-hour place on Main Street. And then we could do a movie.” “I have rehearsal tomorrow night. We’re running through the Cratchit scene of the Christmas Present section a few times.” Corrine clicked her tongue. “Bummer.” Teena rushed to offer a solution. “We could do a movie before lunch?” “Nah, too early. I’m sleeping in and no one can stop me. It’s okay. This stinkin’ play just takes up so much of our winter break each year.” Teena somewhat agreed. A Christmas Carol did, in fact, dominate Tennant Park’s winter season, and it got stressful teaching during the day and working on the show at night. But she loved it all. She had moved from Detroit to Tennant Falls, Colorado, seven years ago and gotten a job at the middle school, teaching eighth grade biology. On her first day, she’d stood in front of a sea of glassy-eyed teenagers and written her name on the whiteboard: “Ms. Fakhoury.” No matter how many times she’d enunciated it for her students, no one had been able to nail it. So, finally, she’d wiped her hand across most of the letters and shortened it to “Miss F.” Easy enough. On her second day, she’d met Coach Corrine, one of the gym teachers, and they’d become fast friends. Corrine had a big heart and truly loved kids, but her social capacity was extremely small. She could only take so much people at a time. During her first period gym class, she was the nicest, most encouraging mentor imaginable. By the end of the day, she could make a drill sergeant wet his pants. But she never seemed to tire of Teena’s company. They had lunch in the teachers’ lounge every day, went to the movies on the weekend, and tried different hobbies together. “I swear,” Corrine said, “I’m not doing this next year.” “You said that last year.” “Well, I mean it now. Rehearsals start while school’s still in session, then cut into our winter break. Performances run for a weekend right in the middle of the

LUKE SWANSON break… Geez Louise, why do I do this?” They reached their side-by-side cars. Teena pulled her car keys from her pocket and hit the unlock button. Her sedan beeped and flashed. “Don’t pretend you don’t like it, Coach. You don’t do something for seven years without loving it a little.” “I… I mean…” Corrine shrugged and leaned against her own car. “It’s not… I mean, you know.” “I do know.” Teena smiled. “Rehearsals can suck. They’re stressful and annoying and long. But performing the actual show… You get that feeling in your stomach. Sort of a thrill, sort of contentment. I can’t really describe it. Like you’re doing something beyond yourself. It’s something else.” Corrine couldn’t argue. She smiled pensively. “Besides,” Teena said, “during my first winter after I moved here, you’re the one who suggested we both audition. You said it’d be fun to hang out together outside of school.” “Oh yeah.” Corrine squinted at the memory. “Can only blame myself, I guess.” They both laughed, creating big puffs of mist in the cold air. “Okay, Miss F.,” Corrine said, unlocking her own car. “I’ll see ya.” “Be safe driving down Mountain. And enjoy your cider and bath.” “I always am. And I definitely will!” With that, Corrine slid into her car, cranked the engine, and rolled out of the parking lot. Teena watched the taillights turn down the road, then took a deep breath through her nose. She loved the feeling of frigid air, the way it scraped against the inside of her skull like sandpaper. It had been cold in Detroit too, and that was how she liked it. When Corrine complained about the bitter weather, Teena went along with it, but now that she was alone, she didn’t mind lingering outside. She sat on the edge of her sedan’s hood and looked around. Perhaps the locals who’d lived here all their lives were simply desensitized to it, but she was always taken aback by the beauty of Tennant Park’s theatre. Well, not the building itself. The leaning pile of brick and mortar was hardly remarkable. Its windows were

cloudy, the sidewalks and concrete steps were cracked, and the roof was going bald shingle by shingle. The equipment inside was nothing to write home about either. The seats in the auditorium were seemingly stolen from a passenger jet from the ‘70s, and the air conditioning was distractingly loud. The lights and toilets worked, but only most of the time. But where it was. That was special. On the northern edge of Tennant Park, a small mountain kept watch over the town. It wasn’t monstrous or intimidating. It didn’t block the sun or cast a looming shadow. It was comforting, like an older sibling. Its official name, according to the atlas, was Mt. Tennant, from which the town got its name, but residents simply called it “Mountain.” The town’s community theatre rested snugly at the top of Mountain. Lush coniferous trees surrounded the building, as if the construction had happened centuries ago and a forest had grown around it. The whole area smelled of pine and fresh air, and pinecones and needles constantly dotted the parking lot. For the holiday season, the theatre’s staff—AKA Bernie—had hung white lights and ornaments from many tree branches. Tinsel wrapped around the trunks like candy canes. Standing there, breathing the deliciously cold air and basking in the décor, Teena wouldn’t have been surprised if it started snowing, just like at the end of the show. It was a winter wonderland. Only a single road led to the theatre, weaving back and forth up Mountain like a loose thread dangling from a sweater. Trees and boulders lined the road, and whenever Teena drove up or down it, she felt like she was going on a journey. Having grown up in Detroit, she’d been constantly surrounded by noise and concrete. But on top of Mountain, she was transported into a fairy tale. She peered through the trees and caught sight of the twinkling lights far below. The town sported Christmas decorations of its own. From the top of Mountain, Tennant Park looked like a toy set Santa would have in his workshop. Tiny cars, tiny Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 135

FEATURE AUTHOR roads, tiny houses, tiny people. And tiny lights of red, green, and white. Tennant Park didn’t have state-champion sports teams or celebrity citizens. It didn’t have huge concert venues, casinos, or a national park. It had this theatre, and this theatre had A Christmas Carol. Every year, an influx of people from neighboring towns came into Tennant Park to see the show: school trips, retirement homes, and church groups, not to mention families. Lots and lots of families. A Christmas Carol gave the local economy a healthy boost each and every year. But it was more than that. It was the hot cocoa that Bernie passed out to patrons after the show. It was the wreaths and garlands strung throughout the lobby. It was the way the lights seemed to glow brighter in the cold December air. Standing in the parking lot, Teena knew. It was magical. Now, she would never say that out loud. Especially not to Corrine, who would laugh her into oblivion. But this centuries-old story performed in a rickety theatre on top of a smallerthan-would-usually-be-considered-impressive mountain was special. Teena loved being a part of A Christmas Carol. She took one final pull of night air, enough to make her lungs shrivel even as they expanded, then finally slid into her car. As she drove down Mountain’s winding road, she took it slower than she needed to. Admiring the trees in the moonlight. Watching the town’s lights get closer and closer. Feeling as though she was turning from a human into a figurine, then taking her place in the toy set that was Tennant Park.

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DON’T MISS THESE TITLES:

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Troy

hollan

roy Hollan grew up in a dusty South Texas ranching town, but from a young age, dreamed of distant horizons. Raised on stories of treasure hunting, and real-life adventurers, he’s always been an explorer at heart.

Like the protagonist in his debut novel, he once quit his job, fixed up a vintage boat, and sailed away to the islands. There he spent several years living a low-budget version of the cruising dream, working odd-jobs that included salvage diving, beach bartending, and construction. Returning closer to home, Hollan worked a few more conventional jobs before settling down to remote work from locations ranging from a drafty old RV 8,000 feet up in the mountains of Colorado, to a rainy Gulf Island cabin in Canada. While waiting for his next big adventure, he, his wife Melissa, and their two spoiled rescue dogs, split their time between their home in Austin and anywhere they can pitch a tent.

Uncaged welcomes Troy Hollan Welcome to Uncaged! You have a book coming out in November, called Clucked. Can you tell readers more about this book? Is this your debut novel? Thanks so much for having me! I’m really excited about the upcoming release. Over the years, I’ve written a few short stories for online and print magazines but Clucked is my first novel. While it has tongue-in-cheek humor, it touches on some serious issues, like corporate greed and the ethics of factory farming. Part seafaring adventure, part travelogue, and part not-so-classic battle of good-versus-evil, Clucked deals with loss and grief, the power of

connection, and the myriad ways in which we find community. After a rough patch in my life, like my protagonist, I too once pulled up anchor, left everything I knew behind and sailed off in search of a new beginning. My novel celebrates random acts of kindness and the healing power of the sun, sea, and friendship. I really hope that my readers enjoy coming along for the sail! What are you working on now that you can tell us about? I’m currently working on some short stories inspired by the people I met while living in the Caribbean. Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 143

FEATURE AUTHOR What is the most difficult scene for you to write? What is the easiest? That’s a great question. For me, the most difficult scenarios to envision and describe are those that involve any kind of human or animal suffering. What comes much more easily is writing about those who get a second chance to find love and happiness. How do you come up with names for your characters? Naming a character can feel intimidating! But I find that once I’ve committed to a name, my characters tend to grow into and inhabit their name, just like we humans do. Animal names come a little easier for me. I love to pay tribute to the wonderful rescue pups I’ve had in my life, like Hank, our beloved rat-terrier, whose namesake plays a starring role in “Clucked”. Do you read reviews? What do you take away from them? I do read reviews! I appreciate the time readers take to consider how they were impacted by my stories, and to commit their ideas to print. I strive to take the good with the bad and learn what I can from less-favorable feedback. After all, no matter what you write, you can’t please everyone - a fact that becomes abundantly clear when reading some of the one and two-star reviews left for the works of the world’s most successful authors. What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the 144 | UncagedBooks.com

most? I think it was Andy Warhol who said, “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for fifteen minutes.” When I was in my twenties and living in Austin, I received some surprising news. While beachcombing in Florida, a woman had found a jar with a note inside that I’d launched in a South Texas creek about a decade earlier. The note inside, scrawled on a piece of lined paper, bore my parent’s address and the following message: You are hereby granted three wishes! I have no idea how a sealed mayonnaise jar made it from a cactus-lined creek, down several rivers and across the Gulf, but it did! First, a local newspaper picked up the story. Then, it ran nationwide, and I was featured on the Paul Harvey radio program. That’s it. Maybe not “world-famous,” but that was my fifteen minutes of fame – thanks to a “message in a jar.”

Which comes first, the plot or the characters in the planning stages? That’s a tough one. I think that the evolution of plot and characters is kind of like the dilemma of the chicken vs. the egg. In my experience, the plot is already the protagonist’s story. In my mind, it unfolds like a movie with my main character in the starring role, and the secondary characters falling into place as the plot starts to gel. What are some things you like to do to relax when you aren’t writing or working? I love spending time outdoors, hiking and camping, with my wife Melissa and our two rescue dogs, Lizzy Lou and Tripp. Whenever we can get away, we enjoy exploring the backroads in an old truck that’s outfitted with a rooftop tent.

TROY HOLLAN While I enjoy the convenience of a Kindle when packing light, nothing beats the sensation of holding a book and turning actual pages. We love to camp off-grid, and paperbacks, which don’t require chargers, make life at a remote campsite even more enjoyable. I’m currently reading A Better Heart, by Chuck Augello (in paperback) - and loving it so far! What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you? I’d like to say a big “Thank you!” to those who’ve chosen to add Clucked to their reading list. I hope my readers are entertained by the story, have a laugh or two, and are inspired by its celebration of the spirit of resilience, kindness, and connection. If they’d like to learn more about me, or the stories behind the story, I invite my readers to visit me at Cluckedthenovel.com.

Do you prefer ebooks, audiobooks or physical books? Are you reading anything now?

S t ay C onnec t ed

Cluckedthenovel.com

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FEATURE AUTHOR

Enjoy an excerpt from Clucked Clucked Troy Hollan Humor Adventure

What do you do when you have nothing left to lose? You say goodbye to everything and everyone you’d ever known, pack up your worldly belongings (and an old half-blind dog), cast off your lines and set sail in your tiny sailboat to anywhere else. Two years ago, Matt lost his wife to an asleep-at-the-wheel truck driver for the corrupt Clawson Chicken Corporation, and most of his savings to a court battle with the aforementioned fowl magnate. Trusting that the ocean will heal his battered psyche, Matt heads out from Corpus Christi Bay in a vintage sloop, trying to out sail bad memories and find a path forward. As he winds his way east beyond the Gulf, he has adventures (and misadventures), meets a quirky cast of characters, and is dogged at every turn by reminders of the reach of the greedy chicken king, Colonel Clyde Clawson. A close encounter with a coral reef nearly wrecks his boat, a mishap that draws him away from his looselycharted journey, up the Intracoastal wa146 | UncagedBooks.com

terway, to Bullfrog’s Boatyard, and ultimately into the heart of Gullah Geechee country. Here, Matt meets a beguiling linguistic anthropologist and learns the terrible truth about the Colonel, his secret lab, and his cannibalistic coterie (the Circle of Tantalus). With environmental abuse running rampant, factory farming taking on a whole new meaning, and labgrown human meat on the menu, it will be up to Matt and friends, both old and new, to bring down the greedy Clawson corporation, find justice for its victims and along the way, save a musical dog, and a whole bunch of chickens. Excerpt Matt had a vague plan of sailing around the world in the old vintage 1960s Pearson Vanguard Lonesome Dove, wandering aimlessly from port to port until he’d had his fill of journeying. Matt and Julie had christened the vintage sloop in homage both to their favorite western movie and the autobiography The Dove—a book they’d shared and loved about the teenage sailor, Robin Lee Graham, who had circumnavigated the globe when he was only sixteen years old. Once upon a time, traversing the globe in their own sailboat had been his and Julie’s dream. They’d talked for years of one day, sailing out of Corpus Christi Bay and far beyond to the Caribbean, spending their days swimming and snorkeling in the turquoise waters. Once they’d had their fill of the West Indies, they would head slowly down through the Windward and Leeward islands, stopping in the San Blas Islands of Panama, before transiting the Panama Canal and crossing the Pacific to Tahiti—and wherever the

TROY HOLLAN wind carried them next. It wouldn’t be the same without her, yet the dream they had shared and the promise of one day fulfilling it were all that was currently holding him together. And here he was, finally, ready to haul up anchor and head off into the unknown...alone. His eyes filled with tears, and he ran a thumb over one wet cheek. One day at a time, he reminded himself as he drew in a deep breath, holding at the top and then counting to five before releasing the exhalation. Except his addiction wasn’t alcohol or drugs: it was his memories. With Hank snuggled securely under his arm, and his last cold beer tucked in the deepest pocket of his cargo shorts, Matt grabbed an old sweatshirt and climbed up into the cockpit for a final look around. Lowering himself onto a damp seat cushion, he stretched out his legs. While the little dog curled himself into a comfortable ball in his lap, Matt sipped the beer, savoring the cool slide of the drink over his tongue, enjoying the tangy scent of the ocean air and the soft slap of the waves against the hull. When he and Julie had first started dating, they’d visited Shamrock Cove often, spending hours anchored in the calm waters, watching slick gray porpoises chase schools of mullet around the boat, cooling off with a quick swim, and catching an occasional red drum or “redfish” for dinner. More often than not, they’d spent a good part of the afternoon up in the V- berth, moving together in a sexy tangle of sweaty limbs. After they’d married and were working around the clock to manage mortgage payments on their old farmhouse, they hadn’t been able to visit their little cove as often as they had that first summer. And so Lonesome

Dove had mostly stayed neglected and a little forlorn in her slip down in Corpus Christi. Over the past year, since that time when everything had gone to hell, the old sloop had grown a thick beard of moss and barnacles on her hull, and gained a generous spatter of seagull poop that clung stubbornly to her formerly pristine decks. When he’d first arrived at the marina, still heavy with grief and rapidly losing faith in his plan, Matt had lost himself in work. He’d spent weeks suited up in a “shorty” wetsuit, mask and snorkel, scraping away on the hull in the murky coastal water and then up on deck with a hose and rags, scrubbing away the poop and grime. When Lonesome Dove emerged from the damage neglect and time had wrought, Matt went to work sanding and re-varnishing the weathered teak and polishing the old brass work. Cleaning up the mess, restoring Lonesome Dove to her former modest glory and getting her ready for a voyage to somewhere— anywhere but here—had helped Matt take his mind off the living hell that simply existing had become. Matt shifted on the cushions as he gazed off in the distance. In his lap, Hank stirred slightly, then let out a contented moan. From far off, the lights of Corpus Christi were a distant sparkle against the darkening sky. As he prepared himself mentally for the journey ahead, running methodically through his safety checklist and rehearsing for departure, his mind, unbidden, began slipping backward, falling into memories and finally tumbling into the darkness that reached up to greet him. Issue 74 | November/December 2023 | 147

R E V I E W S

R E V I E W S UNCAGED BOOKS 1 5 4 UNCAGEDBOOKS.COM

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Uncaged Reviews Rebel Bear Anna Lowe Fantasy Romance Up-and-coming supermodel Hailey Crewe can’t wait to escape the limelight and return to the modest, anonymous lifestyle she once led. Escaping literally? That was never part of her plan. But when an unwanted suitor — and her scheming mother/ manager — go a step too far with a surprise Hawaii wedding,

Uncaged Review: The second book in this series and all our favorites from book one are here and this book focuses on Tim and Hailey. Hailey is a top model and is being manipulated by a man she wants to break up with, and her mother who is pushing her into him. When the two of them try to have a surprise wedding to undesirable Jonathan, Hailey flees and goes on the run. Coming to her rescue is Tim, a bear shifter. There’s a lot more to this story, and as you read, you’ll find out why Hailey is being hunted by her ex-boyfriend and his security crew, it’s a much more devious plan afloat. Tim and the crew decide to get Hailey off the beaten path for awhile and help hide her until things die down. But there is danger, hot sex scenes and a great cast of characters. A great fantasy romance series. Reviewed by Cyrene

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Afterworld – Road to Redemption Olivia Boothe & Victoria Liiv Dark Fantasy/Dystopian Romance EIGHTEEN MONTHS AGO, THE WORLD LEARNED THE UGLY TRUTH: GOD EXISTS. HE JUST DOESN’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT US. After a deadly virus wipes out most of the world’s population, those of us who survive are left as food for the Damned, the walking corpses ravaged by the infection.

Uncaged Review: This is a true good vs. evil in all sense of the word. In this dystopian world, the evil is Samuel (or the devil himself) trying to free himself from Hell so he can have dominion over earth. Survivors have to fight off the lesser demons that destroy everything in their path, and if you get scratched or bitten, you become a zombie-like creature and there is no cure. The devil’s Lieutenants are the Four Horsemen and they are kidnapping young girls to try to find a vessel who will carry the child that Samuel can take over. A lot of twists and turns, it will make you laugh and cry, and still have hope for humanity. There is a lot of religious overtones which I expected with an angels vs. demons apocalyptic world, but it’s not preachy. Action packed with plenty of gory fight scenes and a few hard-hitting sex scenes. But this is book that has enough action and twists and turns to keep you turning pages. Excellent start to a new series. Reviewed by Cyrene

The Duchess Games Alyxandra Harvey Historical Regency Sometimes you have to break the rules to find your happily ever after. The stern and proper Callum Winter, Duke of Tremaine, must marry. At least according to his mother. Enter: The Duchess Games where ladies are invited to display their accomplishments in dancing, music and all social graces.

Uncaged Review: This is such a fun book, I read this quickly as I couldn’t put it down for long. I laughed so many times in this one and the cast of characters are well thought out. Caitriona is a fisherman’s daughter living in a poor village, and has nothing to do with society. She smuggles brandy and lace to help feed the village. Now she needs to steal the Duke’s signet ring to help get the smuggling business going, and to do that she finagles her way for her sister to compete in the Duchess Games, a contest of sorts set up by the Duke’s mother to try to marry him off and produce an heir with the potential debutantes. Callum, the new Duke, is put out by the silly games, but when Cat shows up, he remembers a passionate summer they shared years ago….and the woman that stole his heart. This is a fun book, filled with laughter and animals and even a bit of danger. Even though Cat and her sister Viola were not born to be a Duchess, Callum will have a bit of trouble remembering that. The supporting cast is fun, even the backstabbing contestants. The ending was a little too fast, but this is a fun book and doesn’t disappoint. This is a first book for me by this author, and it definitely won’t be a last. Reviewed by Cyrene

Bride Swap Beth Carter Contemporary Romance Paige, a popular hard-charging television anchor, is handed a dismal new assignment to improve the station’s ratings. Her new job involves, of all things, sports. Gag. She hates sports, plus being on the road may put her career and her secret engagement to a rival news anchor in peril. Never mind that her fiancé constantly flirts with his so-called fans or the fact that her new male coworker may be after her job. Uncaged Review: This book started out a bit slow for me as contemporary romance is a really not a go-to genre for me, but once I hit the halfway point, I couldn’t put it down. I “had” to read what happened next. After I read the Coconuts series by this author, I was intrigued of where she was going next, and this book doesn’t disappoint. Two unlikely best friends, totally different paths and the book narrates between the two of them, chapter by chapter. I was completely absorbed in their lives, and I was already choosing their partners. Paige is a regionally famous television news anchor who gets saddled with a sports job from her boss, a part of the news she has zero knowledge of. On top of that, she gets a partner – who seems too good to be true. She also is engaged to a rival station’s anchor, a cad of a man named Trent. Emma is a single mom with a charming daughter in kindergarten who is quickly falling for her daughter’s teacher. This book is funny, it will make you laugh and cry, and have you cheering on the characters. There is a bit of a surprise toward the end, and if you’ve read the Coconut series, you will know what I mean. All I can say is there had better be a book two. Reviewed by Cyrene

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Uncaged Reviews A Rendezvous with a Rake Tammy Andresen Historical Regency “I’ve got one rule and it’s no women on board. Ever.” When the youngest brother of the rough and tumble Smith family turned to smuggling, Fulton Smith knew he had to keep his operation simple to keep from being caught.

Uncaged Review: This is a fun story with a perfectly imperfect hero, and a woman who is the perfect combination of courage and grace. Sophie hides away on Fulton’s ship, trying to escape an arranged marriage with a cruel man and a loveless family, and Fulton is hunting a criminal who has terrorized his family. But things don’t always go to plan, and when Fulton discovers the daughter of the wine maker he purchased at one of their stops in the hold of the ship, he threatens to take her back to where she’s escaping from. But he has a hard time fighting his attraction to her. This book has romance and danger, and secrets that will be revealed. Secondary characters are well developed, and I look forward to reading more in this series. Reviewed by Cyrene

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A Night at the Tropicana Chanel Cleeton Romance Short Story Havana, 1939: It’s opening night at the famed Tropicana nightclub. Cuban American college student Natalie Trainer, on vacation from Miami, is watching from the sidelines—as usual. Then comes an invitation to dance from a handsome stranger named Antonio. Normally cautious and reserved, Natalie somehow finds herself saying yes. A tiny thrill of rebellion, of taking a chance, and Natalie’s in heaven. Will her first step into this unfamiliar realm set a new course for her life, or only tonight?

Uncaged Review: This is a short, sweet story of a young lady who goes on vacation with her parents to Cuba in 1939, and meets Antonio at the famed nightclub, Tropicana. About love lost and found, the author does a great job having you care about the characters in a short amount of space. I can’t give away too much, but if you have an hour to spare, this is a perfect interlude to your day and a great introduction to this author. Yes, it’s short and sweet, and sometimes that’s exactly what we need. Reviewed by Cyrene

Portrait of a Duke Alexa Aston Historical Regency Eight titled peers who never expected to become dukes do just that—and are attracted to females whom Polite Society does not believe worthy of the title duchess, due to their desires to be more than typical ladies of the ton.

Uncaged Review: Lady Margaret has always placed 2nd fiddle to her beautiful sister. Her sister was doted on by their mother and when it came time for a match, they schemed to find her the best match with the most value and the best title. As Lady Margaret took care of her ailing mother and father, her debut wasn’t until she was 24 yrs old, much later than most debutantes. Having to live with her sister and her husband, Lady Margaret is thrust into the Polite Society to find her match and to move her out from her living situation by her sister Dolley. But Lady Margaret is an artist, inheriting the talent from her late Grandmama. Daniel, the newly minted Duke, has finally agreed to find a wife. Daniel had met Lady Margaret during Dolley’s coming out when Lady Margaret was not quite 15 yrs old. He never forgot the spitfire and when he saw her again, he knew he’d found his match. But Lady Margaret has no intention of getting married, and Daniel will need to work for it. This is a nice historical that is a great page turner. I was pulled into the pages almost immediately, and loved the characters and the original story. I liked that Daniel knew what he wanted, and that Lady Margaret was an independent planning on making a living on her paintings. An engaging, original storyline that is smart and addicting. Reviewed by Cyrene

Tempting the Sheriff Anna Lowe Medieval Fantasy Romance Releases Nov. 9 Don’t believe what they tell you about Robin Hood, outlaw of Sherwood Forest. There never was such a man. But there is a woman… That’s me, Robynne: fox shifter, master archer, and jaded outlaw with a fierce desire to avoid trouble. But when my impulsive brother and his merry band of misfits rob a passing carriage, they set off a chain of events that changes my destiny forever. Too late to stop them, I settle for the next best thing: taking from the rich and giving to the poor. Uncaged Review: This is a master retelling of the Robin Hood tale, with a well rounded cast of shifters, which this author is known for. The outlaw of Nottingham is none other than Robynne, a crafty fox shifter who is talented with a bow and arrow. Her group of Merry Men include her brother Robert – a wolf shifter who needs a better education, Little John – a bear shifter and a few other shifters. Daniel, a dragon shifter and Robynne’s true mate, has returned from the Crusades and is given the post of acting sheriff of Nottingham. But sometimes him and Robynne are on the wrong side of each other with the law and when Robert gets captured and found guilty and sentenced to hanging, it will take all the Robynne, the clan and Daniel to save him. This is a great book that had me hooked right away and so different from what I’ve read from this author. Plenty of action, romance and suspense. I’ve read several different Robin Hood retellings, and this is by far my favorite. This is a trilogy and I’ll be first in line to get the next one. Reviewed by Cyrene

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Uncaged Reviews Bound by Honor Regan Walker Scottish Historical The friendship that changed the destiny of a nation… In the waning years of the thirteenth century, two young noblemen form a bond that forever changes their destiny and that of Scotland’s. Their shared pledge of honor would endure for a lifetime to secure power in the Isles for Angus Og Macdonald and a crown for Robert Bruce. This is the story of their friendship, their times and the battle that secured their future.

Uncaged Review: This is a sweeping tale that encompasses the friendship and loyalty of 2 men, and the history around medieval Scotland when Robert the Bruce was reigning, and with battles for the freedom from England. Angus and Robert form an unbreakable bond after meeting when there is a meeting called for many families to discuss the future of Scotland. There is love interests in this book, and even though they are crucial to the story, this isn’t a historical romance in that respect. What this is, is a epic journey with real historical facts, there is so much research that had to go into this saga, that it boggles the mind. This is a bit longer of a book, but it really does bring you to medieval Scotland with descriptions that never slow the book down. This story is based on a lot of facts from the author’s own ancestry and she does them proud. Start from the first book and you may be surprised at the time you spend reading. Reviewed by Cyrene

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Star-Crossed Negotiations Tessa McFionn SciFi Romance In the Nexxus system, water is a scarce commodity. Vice Ambassador Kieran Phaetal has been given the monumental task to broker peace and heal the century’s old wound between the water planet of Westran Alpha and the savage denizens of Hexaka. As he boards the first available transport vessel, his thoughts focused on the future only to have his past rise up and kick him right in the gut.

Uncaged Review: This is one of those scifi books that doesn’t leave you hanging on complicated technology that it leaves you scratching your head. The technology is easy to grab hold of and suits the story well. This was a great scifi romance, and it grabbed my attention within the first couple of chapters and it was one of those books I was looking forward to getting back to. Kieran is an ambassador, hiring passage to a remote hostile planet of Hexaka. Unknown to him, he hires Vanysha’s transport ship. Both have a history and both will need to come to terms with their pasts if they want to have a future. There is a good suspense in with this scifi romance and everything is not as it seems, and the characters are well developed. Vanysha is strong and stubborn and a survivor with a violent past as being sold on the slave auction by her parents. Kieran has been groomed for his role in politics and when they meet again 10 years later, much has changed for both. The secondary characters are a perfect foil, and this is a non-stop story that never lets off the gas. Here’s hoping the author has more up her sleeve in this world. Reviewed by Cyrene

Accidental Magic Nicole Hall Paranormal Romance

Threads of Fate M.C. Waring YA Paranormal

Magic is real, fairies are obnoxious, and everyone knew the truth but me…

Vampires, werewolves, reapers, ghosts, and world mythology clash in this action-packed, snarky, and romantic YA Urban Fantasy adventure. She wields the power to change fate. And it absolutely terrifies

Sera Allen needs a change. The family house she inherits is the perfect place for a fresh start, except for the sexy neighbor she’d ditched years before and the surprise fairies living across the street. Before long, she’s neck-deep in magic, Fae, and zombie bunnies, and her tenuous connection to her powers relies on the one man she wants to avoid.

Uncaged Review: This book is a good start to a series, and there is a lot going on. A lot of truths will be revealed and some of the mystery I guessed, some I didn’t. There was quite a bit of action and humor and it didn’t slow down too much. There was some repetitive explanations that could have been omitted, but all in all, it wasn’t hard to overlook. I think the ending was a bit rushed, and there wasn’t really a wrap up a couple side stories in the book, but maybe they will be addressed in later volumes. The secondary characters were interesting, and reading ahead, I see that some of them are getting their own stories, which is intriguing. Nice start to a series. Reviewed by Cyrene

her. When her sister is abducted by supernatural forces, Upstate New York high schooler Tasia is thrust into an ongoing shadow war between vampires and reapers, and awakens an incredible magical power within herself

Uncaged Review: This is a good start to a series, and it’s original in a crowded genre. Tasia is tossed into the supernatural world, a world she never knew existed. She meets Ace and Sunny, brothers and vampire/reaper hybrids when she’s attacked on her way home from her job one night. That’s when she finds out that Remnants exist and that she has her own strange powers. This book has a great pace, and we learn a lot in this world with the excellent world building, but there are a lot of unanswered questions that may be answered in the following books in this series. One of my big questions is what is Tasia? Supposedly a human with reaper powers, we don’t get any clue as to what she could be. When she sees golden “threads” in her vision, she will need to learn what they are and how she can use them to save her sister. There is a romance, it’s between Ace and Tasia, but reapers are not supposed to interact with humans. This is a clean romance and has good action scenes and a buzzing plot. It was enough to propel me toward book two. Reviewed by Cyrene

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Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews Forest Pathways: Ramblings from the New Forest and Beyond Michael Forester Non-fiction/Walking/Poetry This is the third book in Michael Forester’s much loved series of essays, metaphorical stories and poetry inspired by walks of solitude in England’s New Forest and beyond. Amy’s Review: Soulful! This collection of essays, metaphors and verse by Michael Forester is a magnificent work of words. I enjoyed reading this collection, the third in the Forest Series, and entering the mind of this prolific poet. Such a wonderful read. My favorite was Red Warning, it’s short, but so impactful and powerful. When I read these kinds of books, a mix of story types, and yes, even poetry tells a story, in a very emotional and specific way, that emotes whatever the author was feeling when he was writing it, but it may emote feelings in the reader, that are different from the poet. Each chapter in this collection, shares something that the author may not tell anyone else, but his own pen. Inspirational, motivational, and one of the collections where every bit, every single word is cherished, and even read more than once. I look forward to reading more by this poet.

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Last Stop, Wylder Barbara Bettis Western Romance Gunman Morgan Dodd is headed to a new life in California, where no one knows his name. Or his reputation. Just one last job to raise money for his fresh start— gunhand for a railroad agent in Wyoming. Easy enough. Until he meets the woman who could change everything. Amy’s Review: A Grand Read Barbara Bettis writes a romantic western tale with Last Stop, Wylder. I haven’t read anything by this author before, and what a hidden gem. I enjoyed it so much that I have now followed the author and look for more books to read. The reader is introduced to Emily, who has just moved to Wyoming to meet up with her brother, who runs the local newspaper. However, he is out on a story, so she decides this is just what she needs to move forward, especially after ending her engagement. So, she decides to start a new life, and help her brother out by running the paper. However, a stranger is there to do a job, get rid of the paper. Morgan is the name he goes by for now, and is a hired hitman, set out to destroy Emily and the paper. But, something happens, and it seems like dangerous chemistry between Morgan and Emily. his author brings the story to life. The characters are so real, it’s like being with them within the story. The chemistry is there and not forced, but so is the tension of what could or could not happen next. A very unpredictable story, my favorite kind! Morgan is intrigued and attracted to Emily and her tenaciousness, but that may not be enough for the couple, especially if they want to stay alive

NAIMERA: Sapient Quest Michael Ganzberger SciFi 7,800 light years from earth… Binary Star System V Sagittae is dying, forcing the inhabitants of a highly advanced civilization to flee in search of a new home. When their planetary reconnaissance spaceships are spotted, every major power sets out to capture one. Amy’s Review: A Grand Sequel Michael Ganzberger writes an intriguing sci-fi, techno-thriller tale with NAIMERA: Sapient Quest. This book is part of the NAIMERA series, and this is volume two, and I have been waiting for the sequel for a while to be released! I was very excited to read this, and I went back and read the first book, just to get back into the story. I am a big fan of Michael Ganzberger and want to read whatever this author writes. This author has a grand imagination, and talent for showing the story. Welcome to Binary Star System V Sagittae, 7800 light years from earth, which (I used a calculator) about 4.5853e+16 miles from Earth. The inhabitants of this star system must feel because the system is dying. There may be a light at the end of the tunnel for the inhabitants. Insert Dr. Miles Pierce, and bio-engineered NAIMERAs, giving hope, but also there is danger, and a mix of fear and excitement. This story is action packed, and almost believable. The author weaves a tangled web of story, and captures the reader. It’s literally out of this world! Yes, it’s the end of the world as we know it, and may be the end of the residents of Binary Star System V Sagittae. It’s a story of survival, and trust in others that are not of the same species, but they all have a common goal. A genuine character driven story!

Lizard of Transition Ed Borowsky Non-Fiction Literature On his deathbed, a World War Two veteran, Joe Rubin, confesses to his son that he murdered a Japanese prisoner in the jungles of New Guinea seventy years ago. In his last hours, Joe enters the world between life and death, known as the world of transition. He tells of his journey, with an odd lizard leading the way, as he recants the tale of the murder prior to his imminent death. Amy’s Review: Riveting!

Heartfelt and emotional Borowsky pens an interesting story about a person in hospice and receiving palliative care in Lizard of Transition. I am a big fan of this author! Whatever this author writes, I read. This author brings the story to life. Joe was going to die. He knew he was dying, and he wasn’t even himself. His family had their own feelings and relationship with Joe. Joe had symptoms of dementia, and his battle with that, brought him back to a time that was horrid and torturous, those memories of the war. When I read this book, it reminded me of my grandmother, who lost her life from dementia. I remember sitting with her, and she was semi-conscious, mumbling to herself, and if you listened carefully, you could her stories of her torturous childhood. It was worse than I knew. I don’t know why, when you’re at this point, the edge of dying, your mind plays against you. Borowsky brought out emotions that I hadn’t thought about in years. This book deserves a second read! (and maybe more). It’s one of those embraceable stories. Wow! Simply masterful. This reader could feel the author’s emotions, and the passion this author must have had when writing it. The title makes you think, but when you read it, you understand it.

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Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews The Great Mongolian Bowling League of the United States of America Ed Borowsky Humor

Taking Medusa SM McCoy Myth & Legend

HAROLD KUSHNER and his roommate of thirty years, Murray Schwartz, are average senior citizens facing down their mortality in a trailer park in Land O’ Lakes, Florida. Two self-professed “best Jewish bowlers ever” wind up contestants in the first-ever Great Mongolian Bowling League Tournament in the U.S.A.

My blood can cure death, but it can also be the deadliest poison on Earth, and the gods will try to kill me just for existing. Hades wants me to join him. Zeus is still bitter about an age-old prophecy that the dark gods, the monsters of Tartarus, will rule Olympus. And Poseidon is the key to everything, maybe even my heart, but his son, Triton, rules Atlantis, and I accidentally killed his daughter, Coraline.

Amy’s Review:A grandly compelling story

Amy’s Review: Very impressive story telling!

Borowsky pens a great story in The Great Mongolian Bowling League of the United States of America. I really enjoyed this story. Ok, first, I really enjoy Harold’s character, and his relationship with Murray. That was really what sent me reading on and on. At first, I wasn’t quite sure where this was going, because of the title, or even when I started reading chapter 1. Well, I loved learning about both Harold and Murray, and it did make me think of the old television show, “The Odd Couple,” (and I’m probably dating myself, but I don’t care). It was amusing, and yet, familiar, especially with the aches and pains of getting older, even if you want to feel like you’re twenty, you just can’t, no matter what. And yes, even women get hair where they don’t want it. This author brings the story to life. I read a lot of stories, and I love the different writing styles and storytelling abilities. This author has a unique writing style all his own, and indeed can show the stories. I know part of this author’s background, and he has many different genres of stories, and has a majestic talent with the pen, and his passion shows in his work. I love how The Great Mongolian Bowling League of the United States of America was born, and how anything can happen just because it does. I also love the “Afterword” where the author tells about his inspiration, for the book.

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SM McCoy writes a mixed genre tale with Taking Medusa. Taking Medusa takes mythology and reinvents it into fantasy and romance, and of course, adventure. This author has a grand imagination, and talent for showing the story. What a grand blend of storytelling, and the characters just come to life. If you are into mythology, read this book and it will show you what happens when it’s retold ... and retold well! The reader is introduced to Alessandra or Aless, and she was once Medusa. Yes, that Medusa. Her family has hidden her and changed her identity, but her powers are still within her, and she knows how the Gods treat and kill monsters, which she knows she is. The adventure and journey for her survival begins, and yet, she knows her fate. This is one of those books that grabs you from the start and pulls you in. This author brings the story to life. The characters are so real, it’s like being with them within the story. The story brings in the believable, even if almost impossible. A definite attention grabber, so much I couldn’t put it down. Both thrilling and intriguing, all the way to the end. Aless is a formidable character

Far From Mortal Realms Karen A. Wyle Fantasy Negotiating with the Fair Folk is a tightrope walk over deadly perils. And even the most skilled can misstep. The many wondrous realms the Fair Folk inhabit offer tempting opportunities for mortals hoping to benefit from faerie magic. Amy’s Review: Fantastically written! Karen A. Wyle writes a fantastical tale with Far From Mortal Realms. I am a big fan of Karen A. Wyle and read whatever this author writes. This author has a grand imagination, and talent for showing the story. Karen A. Wyle has a way with words and creating worlds filled with fairies and humans, and the incredible realms of the fairies, giving temptation for others wanting to hone and steel their magic. I’ve read different genres from Wyle, and I am always impressed with her writing. She is a multi-genre author, and some of my favorites of hers are the fairies and their magic. There is always a story that she sees, and then allows the reader to also vision. This author brings the story to life. The characters are so real, it’s like being with them within the story. The story brings in the believable, even if almost impossible. This story makes you believe in magic, and how it can be life changing, and even evil can seek it. The reader just embarks on a superb journey. This is a magnificent plot that kept this reader turning the pages. Who could ask for more when it’s filled with magical/fantastical creatures and other interesting beings?

In Darkness: The Werewolf L. Diane Wolfe Paranormal Romance Souls shrouded in darkness… On her own in England, Vicki trains at a prestigious fencing school. Face marred by a birthmark, she’s suspicious of Nicholas’ attention. A dinner date reveals his genuine interest and they begin to connect. Nicholas is attractive and she wonders why he’s so shy and reclusive. Amy’s Review: Paranormally Magnificent! L. Diane Wolfe writes a paranormal tale with In Darkness: The Werewolf. This book is part of the In Darkness series, and this is volume three. The reader is introduced to Vicki, who trains in fencing. Because of a facial birthmark, she doesn’t trust who show an interest in her. She is all of a sudden approached by Nicholas, a shy recluse, and can’t understand why he would be interested in her. Before his true being is revealed, they start to build trust in their relationship, and she even may be falling in love with him. Then she sees his transformation, Lycan, a werewolf, who does not live up to the beastly legends and stereotypes. I think this was my favorite of the three books, and I liked all three of the stories. This is one of those books that grabs you from the start and pulls you in. I’m a big fan of this author! This is a magnificent plot that kept this reader turning the pages. The author’s technique of raw, magnetic characters and great plotlines is a gift. A very unpredictable story, my favorite kind!

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Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews THE DELPHI MURDERS: The Quest To Find ‘The Man On The Bridge’ Brian Whitney and Nic Edwards Biography/Crime On February 13, 2017, two Indiana teenagers, Abigail Williams, 13, and Liberty German, 14, went for a walk in the woods near the abandoned Monon High Bridge. They never returned home.

Amy’s Review: The case of Abigail Williams and Liberty German

Brian Whitney and Nic Edwards write about the murders of Abigail Williams and Liberty German in THE DELPHI MURDERS: The Quest To Find The Man On The Bridge. I am a fan of true crime stories. I’ve read books from Author Brian Whitney before, and this book was well written, and gave some depth to the story. I think I read it at just the right time, as every time I read a true crime book, I look up more information about the case, to see if there has been any developments. And in this case, there were more developments than in the book, and it seems that court documents claim that the young girls were killed in a pagan cult, but that’s according to the defense. There seems to still be a case while it is in court, and what is going on. It’s called the Delphi murders because the girls went missing after going for a walk, in Delphi, Indiana. Their bodies were found near the Monon High Bridge trail in the Delphi Historic Trails. The book starts from the beginning, and goes through the motions of where the investigation went, especially in different directions, and there were different suspects, but that’s how an investigation will go. The case is now in court, and I will be following it. My heart goes out to the parents of these young girls, as it is always disheartening to discover such a case.

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Heinous: Forgotten Murders From the 1910s Melina Druga 20th Century World History Every day, amateur sleuths take to the internet in droves to solve disappearances and catch killers on the run. Writers and public figures ask whether it’s healthy to be so obsessed with all things lurid and obscene. Think this widespread fascination with true crime is merely a symptom of living in the Information Age? Melina Druga will force you to reconsider. Amy’s Review: True Grisly Crimes

Melina Druga writes about historical true crimes in Heinous: Forgotten Murders From the 1910s. I am a fan of true crime stories. Melina Druga is a true multi-genre author, as she writes both fiction and nonfiction books. Every one of her nonfiction books, gives a great deal of details from the time period, but also tells a story of the era that this journalist selects. Heinous is about murders from the 1910s, and gives the reader a complete picture of the various cases, murder cases, where some were never solved, but probably forgotten, until she brought it back. This book was written very well. I learned a lot just by reading the author’s notes, and the section Crime in the 1910s, such as the medical term “moron” or “idiot.” Yes, those were actual medical terms of feeblemindness, and those people that were “morons” or categorized in one of those feeblemindess disorders, were always the first suspects. Each case was powerful and terrifying, especially because one might think that there were times in the past that were in order, and safe, but that is not the case. As the author put it, crime has been around since the beginning of time. Murder was one of the first crimes, and it still is popular and disheartening. I applaud this author for bringing these cases back to the limelight, to share, and maybe some can be solved, or a reminder that over time, some things are just forgotten, good and evil.

The Ideal Couple Anna Willett Noir Crime When detectives try to close a missing persons case, a small town’s twisted secrets begin to unravel… A couple disappear in a region of the outback known for its gold mining. Some three years on, there is still no trace of them. Amy’s Review: A masterfully written thriller! Anna Willett writes a murderous thrilling tale with The Ideal Couple. I have read works from Anna Willett before, and was more than happy to read this one. First, all of her books take place in Australia, which from me, on the bottom of the world, which still astounds me. Anyway, a cold case stems from a missing persons case, well, two missing persons, a married couple who, as everyone says, were the ideal couple, but it’s three years later, and not a sign of either of them. The reader is introduced to Detective Pope, who gets this case, so now she needs to go to the scene of the last place they were seen. I loved this story, as it was thrilling, and it kept this reader on the edge of my seat. Pope is a tenacious detective, battling the heat, and the small town, where things like this never happen. This is one of those books that grabs you from the start and pulls you in. This story was absolutely incredible. Whatever this author writes, I want to read. This author is a great storyteller. The reader just embarks on a superb journey. This is a magnificent plot that kept this reader turning the pages, and you’ll never guess what happens next

Song for the Forsaken Jan Notzon Contemporary Fiction Returning home to Appalachia from her time in the hospice during her mother’s last few months of life, Mandy MacDaniel brings with her a horrible secret. Having grown up with an alcoholic, frustrated poet father and a mother lost in her own religious world, the only solace in her life is the little sister she raised from birth. Amy’s Review: A Great Story.

Jan Notzon writes a dramatic family tale with Song for the Forsaken. I am a big fan of Jan Notzon and whatever this author writes, I want to read. . This author has a grand imagination, and talent for showing the story. A story about family, and family secrets and rifts. The reader is introduced to Mandy MacDaniel, who, herself has her own secrets, but she needs to deal with her family and its problems. She has faith in God and her religion, and hopes that is can bring back the bond it once created. She knows she is losing faith, and probably family and decides to change her path of life. Mandy and her sister, still at odds, but insert their caregiver who disappeared, but suddenly is back in their lives. There is a lot of family drama, and some may be normal family drama, but then there are other secrets and loyalty, and what to truly believe in. This story was absolutely incredible. A definite eye-opener. The story is endearing and heartbreaking. The author weaves a tangled web of story, and captures the reader. An embraceable story. What an inspirational title.

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Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews To the Solemn Graves Kim Idynne Horror Feeling shunned in their new neighborhood, a family attributes the cold attitude of the neighbors to prejudice—but a little investigation unearths a more shocking motive. A conniving widower finds a new wife through a foreign dating service, but the bride turns out to know him much more intimately than he imagined. Amy’s Review: 13 Harrowing and Skin crawling stories. Kim Idynne writes a horror-fying tales with To the Solemn Graves. I haven’t read anything by this author before, and what a hidden gem. I enjoyed it so much, that I have now followed the author and look for more books to read. This author has a grand imagination, and talent for showing the story. The sketches in the book also bring the stories to life, and since I am a big fan of thriller slash horrors, I really liked this collection. Each one had its horror, terror, and downright creepy vibe, and you just didn’t want to stop reading it. I had to read this book in parts. To the Solemn Graves, the title of book is also its own story, and it was my favorite of the collection. Seriously, it has the words Solemn and Graves in its title. The author weaves a tangled web of stories, capturing the reader. My favorite line, Our time here is short, but our arts and our hearts are eternal. This author is a great storyteller. Unpredictable stories!

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A Tale of Two Nations (Set of 1914-1918) Melina Druga 20th Century Canadian History Archduke Franz Ferdinand was two and a half years away from inheriting the AustroHungarian throne when he was assassinated in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. World War I began exactly one month later. That conflict would reshape Europe entirely, bring Canada into its own as an independent state, and stoke progressive activist fires in the United States. Amy’s Review: Interesting Chronicle of The shot heard around the world!

What an interesting historical journey in A Tale of Two Nations by Melina Druga. Druga is a freelance journalist and from the details in this book, also a historian. Her research and knowledge tell the story of “The Shot Heard around the world.” As any one who is familar with WWI history and its start of the “war to end all wars” (which we know isn’t true, but they thought it was.) In 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinan was assassinated by Princip, a Slavic Nationalist, and that starts the war, bringing in countries from all over the world, each on different sides. In 1915, it’s not just about the war at its fullest, but also the sinking of the “unsinkable ship,” The Titanic. In 1916, a very important US Presidential election, especially in the middle of a war, where Democratic President Woodrow Wilson narrowly defeats former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Republican candidate, Charles Evans Hughes. In 1917, there is the battle where they say that Canada finally hit its mark of coming of age. Also, in 1917, President Woodrow Wilson went before a joint session of Congress to request a declaration of war against Germany. In 1918, the war on November 11, which also ends up being a celebration of Armistice Day or Veteran’s day. However, it is also the year that the Spanish flu infiltrated the world, creating a pandemic. The story is told through journalism, and how the media (mainly newspapers back then) told the story to the public. This is part one of the series. I am a definite fan of this author! Druga is a magnificent author and writer, and tells the story so well. Even when you know how it’s going to end, the use of the media format to tell the story, and her writing skills, makes you think, and get the perspective of what the world thought of the War back then, and how they lived. This author not only tells the story but shows it with words as well. Entertaining and educational. Wonderfully told.

Yesteryear Stephen Eoannou Historical Fiction It’s 1930s Buffalo, and the Great Depression rages. Playwright Fran Striker needs to write the pilot for a new radio show but, first, he must overcome writer’s block, defeat a curse, foil a plot to assassinate FDR, and recover stolen diamond rings belonging to alcoholic boxing champion. Amy’s Review: A Grand Read Steven Eoannou writes a reminiscent tale with Yesteryear. I really enjoy reading this author’s work. The Buffalo New York native author discovered the legend of the life of the real the man who created the Lone Ranger, which started out as a radio show in the 1930s. Who would’ve thought that a playwright would have such controversy, including who really is the Lone Ranger. I think everyone has heard of the Lone Ranger, and may only think of him as the character on the old television of the same name, but there is more to the story behind that, and how it got started. It’s a very interesting and intriguing tale about the Fran Striker, and this author puts his spin on the story, while keeping the reader entertained, and informed about such a grand journey of his research, and his imagination. The characters are so real, it’s like being with them within the story. This journey was very unpredictable. I really like this story because it’s not just about the characters, but you can tell that the author is so interested in the history of another writer, and turns him into a legend. Don’t we all want to become a legend, especially those of us who write our stories?

Miller’s View: Dead and Breakfast Marlene Potts Mystery Detective Jonathan Miller encounters the bizarre and the tragic but training with the Priestess Daeva Keket, over the past few years, fully prepares him for this next case. Amy’s Review: One of my favorites of the series, and very impressive story telling.

Marlene Potts writes a mysterious tale with Miller’s View: Dead and Breakfast. This book is part of the Miller’s View series, and this is volume seven. Though each story is standalone, I always recommend reading all the books in the series, so you get a feel for the characters, and the author’s writing abilities. I am a big fan of Marlene Potts, and read whatever this author writes. This author has a grand imagination, and talent for showing the story. It is important to read the prologue, so the reader understands the purpose of the gold-framed, rose-tinted glasses, and how it helps Miller see the truth. The reader is introduced to Detective Jonathan Miller, the protagonist of the series, and his specialty is solving “weird or strange” cases. The author weaves a tangled web of story, and captures the reader. The story has a multitude of characters, each with their own distinct personality. Potts has an exceptional talent for character creation and development. There are a lot of twists and turns, revolving around murder and missing persons and even missing or changing places, and the reader never knows what’s going to happen next. Miller’s partner is officer Branson. ““It all changes! Miller, this is way out of my league. There is nothing in the academy or detective training that can prepare you for this. I have to show you this. It’s a replica of the village we heard about. It is exactly like the 18th-century French village we walked through while we were there.” Branson unrolls the painting and stares in disbelief. “This isn’t it. What happened to the painting? It showed every shop and restaurant, the cafés, and the French inn. The guests who were there were in the painting. This isn’t it. It isn’t even a Bosch; the signature is different,” Branson tells Miller. This is one of those books that grabs you from the start and pulls you in. A definite attention grabber, so much I couldn’t put it down. Both thrilling and intriguing, all the way to the end. Tantalizing and intriguing! I also believe that where this is a thriller and mysterious book, there are hints of the paranormal in it, which adds to its charm and interest.

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